


The Walking Dead: For Eternity

by elemmele



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Explicit Language, Multi, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2019-11-26 05:31:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 75,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18176471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elemmele/pseuds/elemmele
Summary: After facing a past trauma head-on and seemingly alone, a young artist finds herself actually alone smack-dab in the middle of the apocalypse. Over a thousand miles apart from her fiance, and with only her dog to keep her sane, what will Laura-Mae be willing to endure to be reunited with her soulmate in the end-all and be-all of the world?





	1. When A Fire Starts To Burn

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome! Thank you for stopping by~ Before you start reading, I’d like to specify some things that I think are important for any potential readers to know.
> 
> First and foremost, this story does cover topics that may be upsetting for some readers. Please be aware of this going forward! These topics include: PTSD, self-harm (thoughts), suicide (thoughts), and childhood abuse.
> 
> Next I would like to briefly state that this story is a self-insert piece! It is canon divergent as well. There will be appearances from some canon characters (specifically in the beginning), but a majority of the characters involved in this story are fan-made.
> 
> Finally, any critiques would be appreciated and are more than welcome! With all that being said, I hope you will enjoy this story~ Thanks again for stopping by!

**EPISODE I**

**When A Fire Starts To Burn**

★★★

     Laura-Mae had been having a mental breakdown inside of her RV when it dawned on her that the world had gone to complete and utter shit. Camped in a park she couldn’t quite remember the name of about thirty miles outside Atlanta, ear-splitting shrieks echoing in the damp night air around her, it was clear as day that everything was fucked. But _before_ all that, everything had been just peachy.  
     Georgia’s summer sun was blistering hot as always. Were it not for the cool breezes skipping off the vast lake mere meters from her campsite, it might have been unbearable. Laura-Mae relished the breaks from the choking, humid heat waves around her, small as they were. So far this day had been too good to waste. Or at least that was what she had decided before she climbed her tiny white ass onto the roof of her Travelcraft ‘93 and spread out a colorful, cozy blanket to park said ass on. The metal of the roof stung into the soles of her bare feet, forcing her to shift her weight back and forth between them. When the fuzzy fleece was finally set and neat, she was quick to step onto it and sit.  
     Laura-Mae propped herself onto her palms to stretch her short, pale legs out in front of her. Her tiny toes wriggled and spread, letting the breeze flow through them and cool her feet. The frizzy brown hair atop her little head twirled about lightly, and a peaceful smile spread onto her face and crinkled the freckled bridge of her button nose. The rich scent of the pine trees dotting the RV park filled her lungs while she drew in a deep breath. Foliage rustled in the wind making a serene sound that was blemished only by the occasional songbird and the low murmur of her fellow campers gathering around the communal fire pit. What had been a plain ring of rocks surrounded by a few empty chairs only moments ago had sprung to life with the setting sun. Chopped logs were being tossed onto the kindling and set ablaze, and fold-up chairs were being unfolded and sat in.  
     This was the way it had been for the past week while she was set up at this particular park. Every night when the blazing sun would begin to nestle into the thick forest on the horizon, like clockwork the campers would come out of their mobile homes and... _communicate_ . But Laura-Mae had a preference for being on her own, and so alone she stayed.  
     Instead, she would watch the oranges and reds of the sky blending into the rippling, shimmering lake. She would let herself get lost in her senses, a comforting blur of warm sun rays and nostalgic pine scents. Her focus was kept on anything and everything around her just to distract from the recent and unpleasant memories poking and prodding at her conscience.  
     Just one week prior she had been standing next to her dad, trying to forget that he was in the same state as her, let alone the same hospital room. Her skin had itched with the anxiety that was crawling all over her. Yet surely that was nothing compared to what her grandma must have been feeling. There lay Laura-Mae’s grandpa in a pristine hospital bed, gaunt and unmoving save for the occasional shallow breath. Her grandma’s eyes were blank, fixed steadily to his wrinkled, sweat-drenched face.  
  
     ‘ _I’m not there anymore..._ ’

     Laura-Mae tugged herself away from the looming thoughts and did her due diligence to direct her attention towards the lake in front of her.

     ‘ _I did what I had to do. And it’s over now..._ ’ 

     The sick feeling she had gurgling in her gut standing speechless next to her dad just would not leave. She hadn’t spoken to him. She hadn’t looked at him. She hadn’t acknowledged him in the slightest.

     ‘ _I don’t have to see him ever again... All I_ **_have_ ** _to do now is just...stop thinking about it, goddamnit._ ’

     With a shaking sigh she pulled her knees up to her chest, draping her arms around them loosely. Resting her cheek against them, she squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

     ‘ _Stop..._ ’

     Her jaw clenched, and she turned her head to bury her squinted up face into her knees. The muscles in her back and stomach tensed and began to twitch on and off again.

     ‘ _Center yourself..._ ’

     Her trembling hand reached out and spread flat against her blanket. Sniffling, Laura-Mae brought her watery, hazel eyes up to study the rich and cool hues of the fabric. Deep purples swam around in oceans of soft blue and pops of bright green. It had grown warm under the Georgia sun she loved so much, and she paid close attention to how the fleece faintly tickled at her fingertips.  

     ‘ _Today’s a_ **_good_ ** _day, damnit._ ’

     “A _good_ day...” Her voice was a low mumble, one she hadn’t intended to let slip. Resisting the urge to check that no one had heard, she brought her gaze back out onto the still shimmering lake. Wiping her cheeks dry, she forced her lips into a meek smile. Another heavy sigh escaped her.  
     “Everything’s okay... Just breathe...”  
     Deeply inhaling through her nose, she could smell the beginnings of a barbecue. The sweet tang of sauce mixed masterfully with the smoky notes of charcoal and did a marvelous job of distracting her. It was enough to make her mouth start to water, and she looked over her shoulder to suss out where in particular its point of origin was.  
     Her rapt attention was wrangled abruptly by a striking umbrella jutting from the rooftop of the RV adjacent hers. Having noticed it so suddenly, she jumped and sat up straight as if she were a cat getting startled by a well-placed cucumber. Calming herself quick as she could, Laura-Mae leaned forward to inspect it through slitted eyelids. This umbrella had _certainly_ not been there earlier that day. Laura-Mae would have noticed it, having been staring lovingly and longingly at the Winnebago it extended from ever since it parked a day after she arrived. She’d seen its owner once or twice around camp, but not once had she exchanged a single word with him.

     ‘ _Must be a hermit like me, huh?_ ’

     Laura-Mae cast her eyes down to the fire pit. By now its flames had grown to great heights, licking up at the dampening evening air. The few other folks who had parked near her were all sat around it, save for the couple tending to their little grill near their fifth-wheel. And, of course, save for her and the ever-elusive Winnebago owner.

     ‘ _Maybe he’s ready to sit and stare at the lake for a while._ ’

     Dimming sun rays shone down onto the camp, and they painted a pleasant hue of orange on everything they touched. Humid as the air stayed, the cool breezes that had only briefly bustled through before had become much more frequent.

     ‘ _So beautiful... But I’ll share._ ’

     Nodding to herself, Laura-Mae stood, gathered her blanket up, and made her way smoothly down the rear ladder of the Travelcraft. The dirt floor of the earth was cool under her feet, and she lingered there for a moment until she heard footsteps pit-patting over her way. Before she could be noticed and made to talk to anyone, Laura-Mae elected to dart up into her little metal sanctuary.  
     Just behind the door waited a very scruffy, very fluffy and very happy dog. Her feathery tail spun in wide circles as she greeted her human, licking lightly with her spotted tongue at the tiny hands that reached out to pet her. Laura-Mae combed her fingers through her shaggy white coat, stopping to scratch at the big black splotch that graced her back. Even though Laura-Mae could only just see her brown eyes set under the mop of black fur sprawling above them, she was sure they were shining brightly.  
     “Okay Ringo, yes, yes,” Laura-Mae couldn’t suppress a smile. “I told you I’d be right back, didn’t I?” Gently she pushed her way through the side door’s frame and Ringo hoisted herself onto the nearby loveseat to make room for her. Laura-Mae tossed her blanket onto the fold-out dinette table next to the door and then flopped down beside her furry friend. In the same moment Ringo was showering Laura-Mae’s sputtering face in slobbery smooches.  
     “Pfft! Okay, that’s-- pfft-- that’s enough!”  
     Pulling her long neck back over to her side of the sofa and curling into a ball, she huffed through her big, wet nose and tucked it under her tail.  
     “Sorry, girl. Something just...feels _off_ today... You know what I mean?” Laura-Mae observed Ringo who stayed perfectly still and, naturally, did not respond.  
     “Of _course_ you know what I mean. You dogs and your... _weird_ animal senses...” Laura-Mae nestled her back into the cushy couch. “It’s like there’s this weird... _static_ in the air.” Looking over at the smartphone tucked into the cupholder of her center console she could only wonder...  
    “Is it just the weather?” Laura-Mae pushed off the cushions, standing and pacing over to grab it. Her fingertip traced along the touch-screen, unlocking the device, and she plopped back down into her seat. She thumbed over to her weather app, something she’d just recently gotten along with a news app she had downloaded. In truth, Laura-Mae was never much of a news person, but the alarming increase of “virus” stories had finally done her curiosity in. After confirming that the weather was going to be more of the same, scorching hot sunny days with the odd ice-cold night, she opted to sift through the news.

     ‘ _More virus stuff, huh...? And videos, too..._ ’

     Curiosity nipped at the edges of her mind, but she shook her head.

     ‘ _Fuck that. God, maybe_ **_that’s_ ** _what’s got me so on edge... Maybe Marty was right... Maybe I should have just stayed home._ ’

     Laura-Mae could vividly remember the concerned expression etched onto her fiance’s face. She remembered assuring him with a dismissive smirk that she’d stay out of major cities and wash her hands, like, _all_ the time. He hadn’t been convinced that would help.

     ‘ _But he knew I needed to do this..._ ’

     Her eyes drifted around her tiny tin home, and pride tempted to swell up inside of her.

     ‘ _At least the hard part’s over. All I have to worry about now is just getting back home..._ ’

     Laura-Mae looked out of the window just across from her, and she admired the now still lake. The pine trees skirting it seemed to blend right in, their upturned reflections dancing against the pink sky that dyed the waters.

     ‘ _It’s still a good day. Still too good to waste._ ’

     “Wanna go for a walk, girl?” Ringo perked up, looking over at Laura-Mae with her floppy ears pricked. Her dark eyes stared intensely at her for a moment before she dragged herself off the couch and spun in a tight and excited circle.  
     Grinning, Laura-Mae leaned to grab the leash slung over the back of the passenger’s seat. With a click she clipped it onto the metal ring adorning the matching lilac collar that Ringo had already been sporting. Her tail wagged in big wafting waves and she pushed her way nose-first through the door just as soon as it was opened for her. Ringo’s big, bumbling paws hit the dirt and her big, bumbling nose followed right after. Laura-Mae was practically dragged along the grass that led up to the lake. Ringo stopped to sniff at the water’s edge and daintily dipped a paw in, but Laura-Mae gave a light tug on the leash.  
     “No no, Ringo,” she  gently chided. “We’ll come back tomorrow, okay? It’s gettin’ too late for all that.” Silently Ringo pushed onward, pulling Laura-Mae along the thin strip of land that separated what would have otherwise been an _enormous_ lake. Small pebbles dug into the soles of her feet, but the sensation was easy enough to ignore while she was struggling to keep up with Ringo.  
     “Easy, girl, easy!” She pushed the command through a crooked smile. “You’re acting like we never get out of the RV!” A shaky laugh escaped her, but Ringo at least slowed her pace to a light stroll. “Good girl, thank you.”  
     The pair approached a small patch of trees that lead into a dense forest, and Laura-Mae looked cautiously around.  
     “Can we even walk over here? I don’t...see a fence or anything...” Ringo started to pull again, eager to sniff at the unfamiliar undergrowth. That uneasy feeling started to gnaw at Laura-Mae. “I don’t know...” But Ringo pulled them both into the foliage, and it wasn’t long before Laura-Mae had to preoccupy herself with looking down to make sure the bare sole of her foot didn’t meet a prickly pinecone.  
     “Damn dog...” Ringo pulled along until she found a satisfactory spot in which to do her business, and finally Laura-Mae was given the chance to look up at their surroundings.  
     A long way away from them up in the forest shambled a shadowy figure. Laura-Mae squinted and leaned to try and see better past the trees. It looked to be a man, stumbling slowly deeper into the foliage. He was wearing a camouflage jacket, and the patterns on it blended almost perfectly into the trees he was tripping through. The man made no move to look at her, and a bright orange hat atop his head did a good job of hiding his face in a forest that had already started to grow dark.

     ‘ _Is he...okay?_ ’

     Ringo noticed the camouflaged man too. She stood still, her paws planted evenly on the ground, and they both just watched for a moment.  
     “Come on,” Laura-Mae pulled Ringo this time, that same nauseating sensation coming back in crashing waves. She gave a light jerk on Ringo’s leash and started to briskly lead her away from the tree line and back across the strip of land that divided the lake.

     ‘ _If that guy was hurt, he’d come back to camp, right?_ ’

     Her brow furrowed down into a straight line across her forehead, and she started to chew at the insides of her cheeks. 

     ‘ _He’s fine... He’s just...having a walk... A really slow walk...in the middle of the forest...at night..._ ’

     Laura-Mae threw her head over her shoulder, and her dark hair whipped at her face. She sputtered briefly and stood still, looking in vain for the camouflaged man. He wasn’t there.

     ‘ _Okay... Okay... Probably just tracking something, right? He’s wearing camo...he’s a hunter! Maybe he’s...just looking for a deer..._ ’

     This thought brought her comfort, but very little. It was enough to dismiss the troubling thought for the time being. Yet still she wrestled with that strange feeling flopping around inside her. Despite this she was able to walk along with Ringo the rest of the way back to the Travelcraft in focused silence. Once they’d gone in, Laura-Mae locked the door behind them.  
     Unclipping Ringo’s leash, Laura-Mae drew in a deep breath. She tossed the leash on top of the blanket still draped over the fold-out table. Ringo paced over to her water bowl and started to noisily lap at the clear liquid within. Laura-Mae reached out and grabbed her phone, watching her dog as she jumped up and flopped down onto the bed in the back.  
     “Good idea, girl,” she sighed, plopping herself down onto the couch and stretching her legs out. Unlocking her phone, Laura-Mae opened her news app.  
     She frowned.

     ‘ _Can’t connect? What do you mean you can’t connect?_ ’

     She closed and reopened it, but to no avail. Her eyes flicked up to the top corner of her screen, and she saw a symbol clearly displaying that her phone was receiving no signal.  
     “What the fuck? Cell service hasn’t been too bad out here...” Sitting up and slouching over, she restarted her phone. Still there was no signal.  
     “No... That’s... That’s normal, though, right? I mean...we’re pretty far out of town... There’s bound to be _some_ issues... Right?”  
     Laura-Mae's breath became shorter and shorter with each exhale. Ringo came trotting out of the back room and started whining up at her, nudging at her hand with her cold nose.  
     “Okay, okay... You’re right... It’s fine...” She took in a deep breath and held it in her lungs for a few moments before releasing it. “I’ll just... I’ll call Marty...” Her screen had since locked, and her shaky fingers fumbled with the code a few times. Once she’d gained access, she scrolled to her recent calls and tapped the newest one from Marty.  
     There was no ringing. There wasn’t any dial tone, no automated message, nothing. Laura-Mae’s heart lurched and she pulled the phone away from herself, leering at the bright and blank screen. She hung up. She redialed.  
     “Come on... No way... No _fucking_ way...” Again, there was nothing.  
     “Shit, shit, shit... Not right now...” Ringo started whining again. Laura-Mae hung up. She redialed. Nothing.  
     “No... No, no, no...” Ringo rested her chin on Laura-Mae’s leg and whined harder, her tail starting to wag.  
     “Shit... Ringo... Fuck, you’re right...” Laura-Mae set her phone down next to her and clutched at her frazzled hair. “It’ll be okay. He’ll call me... He will...” Now she had to make a concentrated effort to slow her breathing. Each one was a struggle, and her throat strained with a whistling wheeze. “Shit... Just calm down...” She started to pet Ringo who had since jumped onto the couch next to her, although when that had happened she wasn’t quite sure. In that moment, she was just glad to have a friend.  
     “Thanks...” Laura-Mae gave Ringo a weak smile and kept petting her. Ringo returned the gesture with happy and excited licks, the tip of her tail twitching back and forth.  
     Her phone rang. Laura-Mae grabbed it up in an instant, answering without even bothering to see who was calling.  
     “Marty?”  
     “Where are you?” The brisk tone he’d taken did little to put her at ease.  
     “I uh... Fuck, I’m...”  
     “Are you in Atlanta?”  
     It clicked. “No, I’m uh...a little ways out -- just off I85. At an RV park.”  
     “Stay there. I’ll come get you.”  
     “Marty, wait, slow down! What’s wrong?”  
     “I love y--” The phone went silent.  
     “Marty? _Marty_? I...love you, too...” There was no response. There was only a sickening silence.  
     Laura-Mae drew the phone away from her ear and let it slip from her numb hand and fall onto the floor with a loud clatter. There was no hope in getting rid of that terrible feeling now.  
     “Shit... What’s...?” With a blank face and hollow eyes, she stared up at the ceiling, her vision darkening at its edges. “What’s happening?” She forced herself to look out at the lake from the window. This time the serene stillness did nothing to calm her. She stood up and shifted into the driver’s seat, looking out her windshield at the firepit.  
     Everyone’s smiling faces were illuminated, enjoying paper plates full of finely-cooked meats. The fire kept right on licking joyfully at the evening air. The couple that owned the grill were still tending it, sharing what looked to be a pleasant conversation. Nothing had changed. Still that feeling stayed.  
     “I just need to stay calm... Just...chill... Marty said he’ll come get me. And if he’s coming here...to _Georgia_...from _Texas_... So...he should be here, what, by tomorrow, right? I’ll just...wait until tomorrow. Everything’s gonna be fine...” It was with some surprise that she looked down at the steering wheel to see she’d been gripping it tightly. Startled at seeing her white knuckles there she let go, and looked over in time to see Ringo hopping up into the passenger’s seat.  
     “Everything’s gonna be okay, right girl?”  
     Ringo looked over and wagged her fluffy tail, her spotted tongue lolling out of her mouth.  
     When the soft murmurings had gone quiet in a swift moment, Laura-Mae and Ringo both jerked their heads to look over at the firepit. Everyone had stopped eating, all twisting their necks to look over at the couple still standing at their grill. An oddly familiar person was reaching out and grabbing onto the guy who’d been doing the cooking.  
     “Hey, chill!” Laura-Mae heard the man’s voice cracking with a little fear, masked well under an aggravated shout. Her heart lurched when the man yanked his arm away and pushed his assailant down into the dirt. “There’s enough for everyone, you don’t have to be a dick!”  
     From the ground the clumsy man righted himself and started at the couple again, reaching out for them with both hands. The woman was standing behind her boyfriend at a moment’s notice, and he had spread his arms out to shield her, to protect her. People were standing slowly up from their fold-up chairs, but they stayed where they were, and so did Laura-Mae.  
     “I said back off, man!”  
     Squinting her eyes, seeing a bright orange cap hidden just behind the flickering flames, Laura-Mae realized where she’d seen this offensive man before.  
     “The forest...”  
     As soon as her whispery words had left her lips, the camouflaged man grabbed the boyfriend and jerked him closer, sinking his bared teeth down into the flesh of his neck. Laura-Mae could feel her eyelids snapping widely open, and her skin began to tingle. Try as she might, she just couldn’t manage to draw her entranced gaze away from the scene. She watched in visceral vividity as the camouflaged man ripped the boyfriend’s flesh away from his body, exposing tendons and releasing a geyser of bright red blood. Unblinking and still unmoving, everything became a blur when the girlfriend started screaming, shrieking, and Ringo started to let out a flurry of high-pitched barks. Still Laura-Mae couldn’t look away. One of the more burly men who’d been sitting at the firepit had taken a pistol from under his untucked shirt in one smooth motion. He approached the three of them, shouting in a firm and distinct voice.  
     “Somebody call the cops, goddamnit! Hey! Hey! Chill the fuck out! Get off him!”  
     The girlfriend had been trying to pull the boyfriend away from the camouflaged man, but after he’d gone quiet and still she finally let him go and fell weakly down into the dirt. The whole while Laura-Mae could just barely hear that Ringo was still and steadily barking.  
     The camouflaged man had shifted his focus to the girlfriend, who’d still been screaming, and crawled over to her and started pulling at her ankle. She kicked at his face with her free foot, but it seemed to have no effect. And just as Laura-Mae had managed to pull her focus away and stand to go and get her own gun, she heard the first of a short burst of gunshots ring out.  
     Ringo stopped barking. Everything fell deathly quiet, hidden behind a light ringing. Laura-Mae turned and practically toppled over back into the driver’s seat, her wide, watery, and fearful eyes staring back out the windshield. The girlfriend was volleying backwards, scrambling up onto her feet and back towards the firepit and into the waiting arms of those who had stuck around long enough to witness the whole thing.  
     For a moment everything was still. Nobody moved. Nobody made a sound. Laura-Mae finally started to breathe again. Wrangling her mind back under her own control, she made precise steps towards the back of her RV and grabbed the cool wooden stock of her M1 Carbine.  
     There was another scream and another barrage of gunfire. Laura-Mae stumbled back to the windshield to find that the camouflaged man had gotten back up and started at the rest of the group, sporting fresh, oozing, bloody bullet holes in his chest and stomach.  
     “What... What is he _on_?” Fear was clawing at her, and she was suddenly frozen. “Should I... Should I go out and--” More screaming started to ring into her ears, and through her fluttering eyelids she could see that more newcomers had started shambling their way out of the nearby foliage.  
     “Shit... _Shit_! Ringo... Ringo, stay!”  
     Laura-Mae didn’t give herself time to second-guess hauling her ass out of the RV. After fumbling with the lock on the side door she yanked it open and slammed it shut behind her. She ran to stand in front of the vehicle, and she couldn’t make herself go a step further. Her fingers gripped tightly at the gun she was still clinging onto. Every time another gunshot would ring into the air she would jump. But she couldn’t move. Her eyes stayed locked onto the camouflaged man, getting up round after round, ripping now into the stomach of another camper.  
     “Hey! You gonna help or what?” The burly “hero” from earlier was shouting to Laura-Mae now, focusing on her for only a moment before finally dispatching the camouflaged man with a bullet to the head. She watched for a heartbeat or two, and this time he didn’t get back up.  
     The screams had become a hellish and unending chorus, marked by the now smooth pops of gunfire. Adrenaline sent her shakily stepping forward, and she managed to lift her gun’s barrel at two psychos who were trying desperately to get to the girlfriend. Laura-Mae took in a few quick breaths and bridged the distance between them. Once she was in what she felt to be a safe range, she pulled the trigger. And nothing happened. With a grunt and a fumble, she flicked off the safety switch and tried again. The barrel of her gun pushed back against her shoulder, and her bullet sank into the shoulder of the psycho nearest her. She met his glazed eyes when she’d drawn his attention.  
     “Fuck! Fuck, fuck, _fuck_!” As he began to shamble closer to her, her body seemed to respond on its own, aiming and firing neatly into his head. The screaming didn’t stop, though, and again Laura-Mae’s body seemed to be working solo, turning just so at the hip and firing into another nearby skull.  
     “Oh my god, thank you!”  
     Laura-Mae didn’t say anything. She only held out her free, shaking hand and the girlfriend took it, helping herself to her feet and swiftly back over to the boyfriend’s corpse which was now unoccupied. She doubled over into shaking sobs. For a moment Laura-Mae imagined what she might be going through.

     ‘ _What if that was--_ ’

     “Over here!” The hero’s voice was drawing her attention again, and there he stood nearly back-to-back with the Winnebago owner who’d brought out a gun of his own -- a rifle she couldn’t quite identify. Even more crazy cannibals were taking turns being blasted to pieces and getting right back up at the pair. Laura-Mae rushed over to them, shooting another person through the side of their head, each time feeling fiercely more nauseous.  
     Cold fingers grabbed around her ankle, grasping so tightly that it hurt. Clenching her teeth, Laura-Mae looked over her shoulder to see one of the crazy people using her limb as an anchor, dragging themselves closer to her with gnashing teeth and wide, milky eyes. At first she tried yanking her foot away, not wanting to risk blasting it off. She grunted and pulled, trying her best to steady herself with her other leg. But instead she managed to fall onto her back. Scrambling to sit up, Laura-Mae aimed her gun at her attacker, but before she could pull the trigger a bullet went blasting through their head, making a splattery display on the pine needles scattered under them both.  
     Catching her breath, Laura-Mae saw the outstretched hand of the hero -- the apparent hero of the whole camp. Once she'd gripped his hand she was hauled unceremoniously up onto her feet.  
     “Thanks...” Laura-Mae trailed off, distracted by more screaming behind her.  
     Her new friend responded quickly, “How are you on ammo? I gotta get more from my Jeep -- can you hold ‘em off?”  
     Laura-Mae only nodded, her heart still pounding so hard that she swore she could hear it in her ears. While he left, sprinting over to his vehicle, Laura-Mae stepped neatly in the opposite direction. She focused in on another cannibal ripping into another camper, and she fired at them, winging their shoulder. The camper had already gone still, but the cannibal slowed their feasting on her intestines and stood, starting to lurch over towards Laura-Mae.  
     Once they had gotten too close for comfort, Laura-Mae shakily lifted up the barrel of her rifle and stood steady against the kickback. Another bullet went splitting through the person’s skull, the top of their head popping open like a stubborn zit, and their eyes drooping oddly down in their sockets. When they fell with a sick thud down to the forest floor, Laura-Mae bent over and hurled.  
     After just a few more gunshots, finally things had started to get quiet. And Laura-Mae threw up some more before reality began to sink in and hot tears started to stream down her cheeks.  
     Having properly emptied her stomach, Laura-Mae stood fully, wiping her mouth with her free hand and looking out over what was left of their once-peaceful sanctum. Flames from the fire pit had crawled through the disheveled stones, spreading out into the pine needles and up into the nearby trees. Already they had been swallowed into a bright red blaze that roared high up into the night sky. The flames reflected in her shining, wide eyes. They crackled and flickered in front of the stars that had started to dot the horizon. The dim celestial bodies were being drowned out by thick clouds of smoke. The sight struck Laura-Mae in a deep and profound way, yet she could feel her heart sinking down into her now-empty stomach. Their camp was destroyed. Even the birds had all gone away. Now there was only the crackling of an uncontrolled forest fire in the making, and the girlfriend’s continuing sobs next to her dearly departed boyfriend.  
     “You okay?” The hero came cautiously towards Laura-Mae, planting his broad hand firmly on her still shaking shoulder.  
     She nodded. “Um... Th-Thanks again...uh...”  
     “Jeff... And, well...no problem, I guess. All things considered. What...what the hell even was that, anyway?”  
     A third voice chimed in matter-of-factly. “Hell if I know, but I don’t think we should be _sticking around_ to try and figure it out.” Laura-Mae met the eyes of the Winnebago owner for a fleeting moment before he turned his attention back to Jeff.  
     He nodded. “Yeah... Yeah... I heard on the radio there might be a place set up in Atlanta. Shouldn’t be a long drive. I’ll take Melissa,” he nodded over to the girlfriend. “She said she’s got family up there so...maybe I can take her to them.”  
     Laura-Mae thought back to what Marty had said with sobering clarity. “But I... I have to stay _here_...”  
     The Winnebago owner looked to her, his noticeable eyebrows high up on his wrinkled forehead. “Look, I mean no offense here, but... _don’t be stupid_ , okay? This place is going up in flames, and Atlanta’s just a short drive away. I think the choice is clear.”  
     She sighed, looking down at the gun she was holding limply in her arm. In just one night she had killed more than enough people for her entire lifetime, and maybe even the next few. And she didn’t want to kill anyone anymore.

     ‘ _And if I stay here...I’ll probably have to..._ ’

     She could already imagine more psychotic cannibals shuffling through the woods towards them.  
     The three of them had their attention quickly drawn by Melissa, sounding suddenly serendipitous. “Donny! Donny oh my god, you’re alive!” Her bright and teary eyes were squinched up with a big smile, and she cupped his face into her hands. “Oh my god... Donny it’s gonna be okay... We’re gonna get you outta here! Donny? ...Donny, what’s wro--” Her query had been cut short by her own shrill scream when Donny bit down on her lips and ripped them clean from her face. Melissa’s scream had become much less human, and Donny climbed atop her and started to tear out her esophagus with his hand.  
     Everything around Laura-Mae became a blur, and she stood frozen where she was. Jeff ran over, yanking Melissa away by her arm and kicking Donny off of her with a heavy boot sole to the shoulder. Donny didn’t hesitate to start dragging himself back towards the still-screaming Melissa. Holding her tightly in one arm, Jeff pulled out his pistol and fired a single bullet into Donny’s head. Laura-Mae jumped, choking back a sob.  
     Melissa was limp in Jeff’s grasp, caught somewhere between sobbing and gurgling while she pawed weakly at her new flesh wounds. Jeff dropped to his knees and lay her down onto the bed of pine needles, examining her injuries with a grimace. The Winnebago owner hurried over to them both, but Laura-Mae stayed planted where she was. She could still hear their conversation from where she stood.  
     “Melissa... Shit...” Jeff’s voice was low and somber. “Goddamnit, Dale, she’s suffering... There’s... There’s no way she can make it to Atlanta like this...” Melissa only cried and choked in response. Dale didn’t say anything.  
     “I’m sorry, Melissa,” Jeff continued. He squeezed his eyelids tightly shut before he pushed his pistol’s barrel to her temple and pulled the trigger. Again Laura-Mae jumped, her frightened eyes still affixed to the scene unraveling in front of her. Dale took off his bucket hat and clutched it to his chest, looking solemnly down at Melissa’s still body.  
     “You did the right thing, son,” Dale told him.  
     Jeff’s attention shifted over to Donny, who was still lifeless just a few feet away.  
     “He was dead, Dale... I saw it. He was _dead_...”  
     “I know he was.”  
     “So what the hell happened?” Jeff started to sound frustrated, standing slowly back to his feet. Laura-Mae felt a sudden wave of heat wash over her, and she looked back up at the tree tops which were now hopelessly lost in an engulfing flame, twirling up into the cloudy night sky. The once mighty forest that surrounded them had started to crumble into dark ashes and fall.  
     When she heard sharp barking, Laura-Mae spun around to see three more psychos slapping at the side of her RV. A fresh surge of adrenaline pulsed through her.  
     “Hey! _Hey_! _Back the fuck off_!” She was running over towards them before she’d even made the conscious decision to do so, her gun raised and aimed at them. “Leave her alone! Back up, I _don’t_ want to hurt you!” Two of them started walking over to her with soft, twisted smirks at the edges of their bared teeth, stumbling just a bit. Her heart lurched at the sight of one staying behind, their gnarled fingers pulling aimlessly at the handle of the passenger’s side door.  
     “ _Stop it_!” Laura-Mae was desperate and she sounded it, her voice cracking behind another sob that was rising into her throat. “ _I don’t want to hurt you_!” But it didn’t help. Nothing changed. Still two were getting closer and closer, and one was moments away from ripping her furry best friend to pieces. Laura-Mae felt as though she had blacked out. With a reluctant grimace she blasted one head wide open, then another, and she rushed over to the last psycho and kicked her down into the dirt. She didn’t hesitate to blast her head wide open too.  
     Now her breathing was coming in ragged gasps, and she just barely heard Jeff and Dale running over while her vision started to clear.  
     “What happened?” Came Jeff’s alarmed query.  
     “These...these guys... I tried to tell them...” Laura-Mae was starting to wheeze, and she was putting a concentrated effort into not crying this time. “My dog...” She didn’t say anything to Jeff and Dale as she yanked her RV’s side door open and climbed in. She threw her gun down onto the couch and wrapped her arms tightly around Ringo. This time she couldn’t stop herself from crying.  
     “Are you okay? You okay, girl?” She sat up to inspect her, and she was saddened by the sight of Ringo’s brown eyes wide with terror. She was trembling under her scruffy fur, and Laura-Mae started to give her long pets down her back, trying to calm her. “It’s okay girl... It’s okay...”  
     Jeff poked his head into the open doorway, and Ringo let out a scared and scratchy bark. Laura-Mae hugged her again and stood, making her way back out onto the ground and closing the door behind her while she wiped her eyes.  
     “We’ve gotta go,” Jeff told her. “Are you coming with us or not?”  
     “I guess...I guess I don’t have much of a choice...”  
     “Oh you do,” Dale chimed in, “but I think you know what the right choice is.”  
     Laura-Mae nodded, “Okay... Okay, you’re right... Atlanta’s not...that far off. And you said it’s safe there, right Jeff?”  
     “Yeah... Should be.” He was standing with his hands on his hips, inspecting the carnage that was left in the wake of their camp.  
     She kept right on nodding, looking over at Ringo who was staring out the passenger’s side window, her gaze shifting cautiously between Jeff and Dale.  
     “Alright. Let’s go...” Laura-Mae looked out at the lake once more, now dark and ominous under the full moon that just barely peeked from behind the gloomy clouds and black smoke. At the lake’s edge was the reflection of the warm red light blooming from the forest fire that continued to rage on around them. “Let’s go...” she whispered to herself.

     ‘ _Marty will find me... It’ll be okay..._ ’

     Dale and Jeff had already gone and hopped into their vehicles, bringing their engines roaring to life. Before Laura-Mae turned to get in her own RV, she heard a light groaning. She looked over to see one of the previously deceased campers pulling herself up, dragging herself towards the fire that was about to consume her and the other dead camp-goers. Jeff’s words from earlier starting playing in her mind while she climbed up and into the driver’s seat.  
     “They were dead...” she practically repeated.

     ‘ _Right? They... Who could survive getting...getting their insides ripped out?_ ’

     Her nausea started drifting back in waves, but she revved her Travelcraft up and pushed away the terror that was still scratching at her. Ringo stayed quiet, staring out at the fire while Laura-Mae drove closely behind Dale’s Winnebago and down the long dirt road out onto the highway. The makeshift convoy traveled in single file along the asphalt, headed hopefully on to Atlanta.


	2. Under The Bridge

**EPISODE II**

**Under The Bridge**  

★★★

     “He’ll find me... He’ll find me... I know he will...” Even sieved through a _completely calm_ tone, Laura-Mae was able to find little comfort in the words she whispered softly to herself. Ringo’s gentle but steady cries from the passenger’s seat painted a perfectly clear picture that she was right there with her. Their pairs of eyes were quaking and glazed, burning holes into the tail lights of Dale’s Winnebago. Those blurred beams were the only respite in the thick quilt of darkness that wrapped tightly wound around the makeshift convoy. 

     ‘ _As if driving at night wasn't scary enough before... What I’d give to just be worried about some..._ **_wily deer_ ** _right about now..._ ’

     Each gas station left unlit passed, her heart and her hopes fell further and further.

     ‘ _This is it, huh? This has to be it... I mean... The shit has so_ **_obviously_ ** _hit the fan right now._ ’

     Chopping up the monotonous quiet in the cab, Laura-Mae let out a light laugh. The whole world was truly, sincerely _fucked_ . It had to be. Her laugh became a bit more boisterous, drawing Ringo’s apprehensive attention.  
     “It’s like... It's like Satan’s five-alarm chili diarrhea making a pit stop through a fuckin’ full-speed jet engine... Makin’ a splattery display all over the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel...” Laura-Mae chuckled a little more. “Yeah. Something like that...” Ringo paid her no mind, her shining eyes drifting back to the dark forest speeding past them as they drove.

     ‘ _Never been so grateful for Marty’s “always be prepared” attitude..._ ’ 

     To Laura-Mae’s good fortune, she and her fiance had spent many a long night mulling over doomsday plans, back when that stuff was for the “paranoid crazies” with bug-out bags and a little too much cynicism. From the elaborate “rustle up all the hygiene products early on and then trade them for ridiculous amounts of supplies in the distant future,” which Marty had so cleverly coined, to the more simple “lock up and stock up,” the lovebirds had it covered. To Laura-Mae’s _misfortune_ , however, all of those plans shared one key element: the lovebirds were _together_ , not half a country apart.  
     “...He’ll find me...” Laura-Mae raised her trembling chin and wiped at her sniffling nose. A tight knot started to tie together in her throat. Her tiny fingers wrapped and shook around the steering wheel, and her already pale knuckles grew ghastly white. Pulling one hand free she patted her clammy palm against her doughy cheek.

     ‘ _Focus... Focus... The end of the world is_ **_not_ ** _the time for a goddamn panic attack. Especially not while I’m driving..._ ’

     Ringo’s continued cries coaxed Laura-Mae back down into the real world.  
     “Hey... Hey, it’s okay...” Her fingers found comfort combing calmly through the long fur of Ringo’s fluffy fringe. “Everything’s gonna be alright ol’ girl.” Laura-Mae offered a weak smile over to her, and even though she was still shaking, Ringo’s cries were quelled. Her scruffy ears rested back down onto her head and she lay down in the seat, resting her chin on her shaggy paws.  
     “Good girl...” Laura-Mae took in a steadying breath, returning her free hand onto the steering wheel, and making a mental note _not_ to try and snap it in half. She looked briefly in her driver’s side mirror, wondering if she might still be able to catch a glimpse of the thick cloud of smoke rising up from their campsite. It had been looming over them for the past ten miles, just one of the countless things Laura-Mae was trying to distract herself from. Yet there it was, still blotting out the stars, and somehow even more ominous than when she’d been staring it down from feet away.  
     Remembering the heat that had wrapped her up whole, her mind started to flood with recent memories. She could still faintly hear the screaming, and the gunshots she couldn’t even hope to count up. The adrenaline that had once been racing through her veins was long gone by now. It felt to Laura-Mae as though it had never happened. And she certainly couldn’t believe that it _actually had_.

     ‘ _Never thought I’d have to...be in a full-blown_ **_gunfight_ ** _... If it weren’t for Marty I’d be...totally useless. Hell... I’d probably be_ **_cannibal chow_ ** _._ ’

     In an attempt to recuse herself from the dark thoughts that begged to plague her, Laura-Mae opted to instead think back to when she had learned to properly use her carbine in the first place. The sizable gun had been intimidating to her at first, especially considering she had only popped one or two pistols behind her uncle's house in the past. Combined with a strong kick-back and a heavy trigger, it wasn’t something she initially envisioned herself becoming proficient with. But Marty had been there with her every step of the way. He showed her how to shoot it, how to reload it, and above all, how to respect it.  
     Getting lost in her thoughts, Laura-Mae almost missed Dale’s brake-lights brightly illuminated just in front of her. She had to slam her foot down onto the brake, making both her and Ringo awkwardly lurch forward. Ringo scrambled up in her seat, stopping herself short from flying into the floorboard.  
     “S-Sorry.” Laura-Mae’s anxiety all came rushing right back, a mounting tsunami begging to wipe out her remaining sanity like it was a hut built from tissue paper. Wide-eyed, she looked all around her vehicle, keeping her hands gripped tightly onto the steering wheel. Within moments she could see Dale approaching her driver’s side window, and she hastily began to turn the crank on the side of her door.  
     “Road block,” he said to her simply, holding his hat in his hand while he scratched at his balding head. “Me and Jeff are gonna take a look. See what we can do.”  
     “Um...” Laura-Mae piped in quickly, but hesitantly. “I don’t... Maybe we should just...stay here until daytime? I mean...” She trailed off, unsure of what to say. Ringo had started to growl over at Dale, but quieted down once Laura-Mae absentmindedly swatted a hand in her direction.  
     “Doesn’t look too bad," he told her. "Might be able to get through if we’re careful.”  
     “Oh... Okay... Uh... How much further until we get to Atlanta?”  
     “Still about twenty or so miles off, but that’s close enough for us to want to push for it. If Atlanta’s what Jeff says it is, it’ll be a lot safer than staying out here.”  
     “Do you, uh... Can I help?”  
     Dale studied her for a moment, shifting one of his bushy, grey eyebrows up. “You got a flashlight?”  
     “Y-Yeah!” Laura-Mae did her best to sound excited, but a buzzing chill was running all along her skin.  
     “We could use a lookout. You up for it?”  
     “Uh, sure! Let me just...get my gun.”  
     Dale took a quick look around before heading back over towards the front of his own RV. Ringo let out another hesitant and low growl as she watched him, unblinking. Laura-Mae poked at her furry neck to get her sharp attention.  
     “Hey. Stay here. _Stay_.” Ringo looked up at Laura-Mae, quiet and still. The whites of her eyes glimmered through the fur that rested over them.  
     “I know,” Laura-Mae spoke more softly this time. “It’s alright. Just stay. I’ll be right back.” Patting Ringo’s head a final time, she leaned past her to retrieve her flashlight from the glovebox, opting for the heavy battery-powered one rather than her cheap shake-it-up. In a fluid movement she reached back behind her seat for her trusty carbine.  
     “C’mon, Pixie,” Laura-Mae smiled down at the scuffed wooden stock. Grabbing a fresh thirty round magazine from her center console, she slapped it neatly in.

     ‘ _Locked and loaded... Whatever that means..._ ’

     Laura-Mae tilted the rifle, inspecting the small switch near the trigger.

     ‘ _Safety’s on..._ ’

     She huffed out a sigh. 

     ‘ _Let’s_ **_fuckin’_ ** _do this._ ’

     Neatly swinging the door open, Laura-Mae dropped her bare feet down onto the asphalt. She was quick to click her light on and shine it out into the forest. Pushing the door quietly shut behind her, she stepped out towards the front of the Travelcraft. Her wide eyes stayed affixed to the thick blanket of trees that hugged closely against the highway on both sides. There was nothing but impending darkness and rustling foliage.

     ‘ _I_ **_got_ ** _this shit... I’ve_ **_totally_ ** _got this._ ’

     A twig snapped off in the distance behind her, and she jumped and dropped her flashlight. It fell down on the road with a heavy, metallic _thunk_. Laura-Mae whipped herself around, her hair falling over one eye. Firmly she pressed Pixie’s stock up against her shoulder and held her finger just off the trigger. Taking in quick breaths, she could see plain as day in her light’s beam that there was absolutely nothing there.  
     Silently Laura-Mae chided herself under her breath. Her nerves were frayed, but she forced herself to aim the barrel of her gun down at the ground, and take a deep breath. When in the next moment she heard a brisk whistle, she yanked up her flashlight and stepped hastily in its direction.  
     Jeff and Dale were standing at the front of Jeff’s Jeep, looking out at the four car pile-up that blocked their path. One of them had crashed into the guard rail, and a few other cars littered the deep ditches on either side of the road. So far things had been quiet, but Laura-Mae kept an ear out, listening for that dreadful snarling and groaning she couldn’t manage to forget.  
     All three beams of light went darting around as they sauntered up to the vehicles. Laura-Mae stopped just at the edge of the pile-up. Her head tilted and she strained to listen out in the forest. Her eyes were locked on one of the cars that was turned onto its top in a ditch. She shone her flashlight at it, studying closely for any kind of movement. There was none.  
     Still, she made a mental note to keep an eye on it, and she began to look out at the rest of the forest once again. She could easily pick up Dale and Jeff’s conversation.  
     “Doesn’t look too bad, huh?” Dale was speaking in hushed tones, shining his light into each vehicle while he made a grim face. “The cars, I mean.”  
     “Yeah...” Jeff was preoccupied looking in between the tightly packed vehicles, and opening the door to one that was empty, lodged between two bent and broken halves of a guard rail. He checked to see there was nothing blocking the car, put it in neutral, and gave in a neat push. With a little effort, and a lot of scraping, it slid into the ditch like butter and came to a stop against a sturdy tree trunk, making a thudding noise. Jeff smiled and ran a hand through his ink-black hair.  
     “Maybe this won’t be too rough,” he said.  
     “Yeah,” Dale agreed, “maybe we caught a break.”  
     Drawing her attention away from the two of them, Laura-Mae focused back out onto the forest. Her heart sank down when she saw two people walking in the same slow pace she had so easily learned to fear. Once she had clicked her light off she waited for the sound of swift running, but heard nothing. Daring to stay where she was, Laura-Mae focused all her attention to the sound. Groaning, shuffling, tripping and stumbling...but no running. She whistled in a low tone over at Dale and Jeff. Both of their lights clicked off, and she heard the men briskly heading over to her.  
     “Two, out in the woods... I don’t think they know we’re here yet,” Laura-Mae whispered to them both.  
     “Good,” Jeff chimed in quickly. “Let’s get this done fast, Dale.” Before Laura-Mae had time to put in her two cents, they were both trotting back over to the cars. One flashlight came on, then another, but the beams stayed low to the ground. Their conversation never got started back up again.  
     So Laura-Mae stood rigid, staring out into the pitch black night, listening in on the faint growls the sick people were letting out. They were getting closer by the second.

     ‘ _Or maybe I’m...being paranoid..._ ’

     Just nearby there was the scraping of shoe soles on asphalt. Spinning around to face it, Laura-Mae clicked her light on. The bright stream of light caught the milky eyes of a psycho, and his hands were only feet away from her. Biting her lip, reducing her near scream to a muffled squeak, she stumbled backwards to make distance between them. Her flashlight fell from her clammy hand and clattered noisily onto the concrete below. As she let out a few quick breaths she raced towards Jeff and Dale.  
     “We gotta go, you guys!” Her voice was desperate, but she did her best to stay quiet. “They’re here!”  
     “Almost,” Jeff grunted. He and Dale had both pushed their weight against the final car that was blocking their path -- their escape. It was leaned crooked, stuck on the lip of the end of the guard rail that tapered down and met the dirt. From where it lay on the ground Laura-Mae’s flashlight illuminated several sets of slowly shuffling legs, headed in fervor their way. They were going to make contact. Soon. With a frustrated grunt, she slammed her shoulder up against the trunk of the car, pushing up against it with all her might.  
     The car rolled down into the ditch, and Laura-Mae fell forward, catching herself roughly on a free palm. A broad hand yanked her up by her elbow, and she gripped tightly onto her gun, turning frantically to see who or what had grabbed her.  
     Jeff only held up his index finger to his lips, and gave her a light push in Dale’s direction, who was already sneaking back behind his Winnebago. Their lights were switched off, and they moved silently behind the large RV. Laura-Mae was still clinging to Pixie, pressing her shaking back up against the cool steel of their cover.  
     The three of them stayed totally silent. The psychos made a slow pace around the front of the Winnebago, snarling and spitting viciously the whole way. When Dale started to walk behind his RV, Laura-Mae followed suit with no reservations and no hesitation. Dale clicked on his flashlight and shone it out at Laura-Mae’s Travelcraft.  
     “Go,” he whispered to her. She nodded and tiptoed quickly over to the driver’s side door. Quiet as she could she pulled it open, and sat down into the seat. Ringo was already whining with frightened excitement, but Laura-Mae calmed her with a few quick pets on the head.  
     Jeff and Dale rounded the Winnebago. Dale climbed up into it, and then Jeff trotted over and hauled himself into his Jeep. The sick people came shambling back around to the other side of Dale’s RV. When Jeff’s engine roared to life, their collective attention was drawn. They made an about-face turn and with outstretched arms reaching towards his Jeep they made their way closer to it at a snail’s pace.  
     Dale’s tail-lights came back on, and once she set Pixie behind her and rolled her window back up, Laura-Mae started up the Travelcraft. Dale’s RV lurched forward, and Laura-Mae responded in turn. The convoy started up again, crawling at first down the deserted road. The sick people slapping against the sides of her RV as she passed sounded like heavy, unending rain on a tin roof.  
     The convoy had made smooth progress until they hit a snag near the airport. The metal jungle of some twenty-odd cars littered across the highway did not bode well, and Laura-Mae had a sick feeling that getting past them was going to be _much_ more difficult than the four that had held them up a few miles back. Same as before, she followed Jeff and Dale’s leads, shutting her engine off. Jeff’s flashlight beam headed over towards Dale’s side-door. He gave it a brisk knock and then shined his light in Laura-Mae’s direction. Squinting, she shielded her eyes with her hand. Ringo started to growl.  
     Laura-Mae scratched lightly at her head and threw a wave up at Jeff’s direction. Jeff and his flashlight went up into Dale’s RV.

     ‘ _I am so not in the mood for a pow-wow... Why can’t we just...like, stay here? Would it be the end of the world if we just..._ ’

     Her thoughts trailed off, and she chuckled to herself.

     ‘ _And yet, here we are. The end of the world._ ’

     “I’ll be right back, Ringo.” She patted Ringo’s head and gave a quick look into the darkness around her before swinging her driver’s side door open and stepping silently down onto the road. Her bare feet could feel it had cooled down considerably. For that, she decided, she could be thankful. But the smell of sun-baked asphalt lingered, overpowered by the stagnant stench of death and decay.  
     Hugging closely to Dale’s RV, she tiptoed hurriedly up to the side door and gingerly knocked her knuckles against it, just as Jeff had done. The door was swung open in a moment, and Dale was ushering her inside with a frantic hand gesture. As she walked up the steps, she picked up his shared conversation with Jeff.  
     “There’s just too many. Not to mention I can hear all those... _things_ from here.”  
     Tuning in, Laura-Mae’s stomach rolled when she heard the faint chorus of growls, grunts, and gurgles. She looked past Jeff and out the windshield while he sat at the dinette table. Amid the murky dark there was a sea of shambling sick folks, stumbling aimlessly around the metal graveyard.  
     Jeff followed her eyesight, and then sighed. “What are we gonna do?”  
     When she caught Jeff’s gaze, Laura-Mae looked nervously back and forth before turning to look expectantly at Dale.  
     “Well we’re not getting through ‘em. That’s for sure... I say we double back, take another route.” Dale traced his index finger along a map that was spread out on his dinette table. Jeff followed along, his dark eyebrows furrowing down and wrinkling his forehead. Laura-Mae was peering curiously over his shoulder, glancing at the map as though it were in some foreign language she couldn't quite understand.

     ' _So much for the ol' GPS..._ '

     “I don’t know,” Jeff drew her from her thoughts, sounding doubtful. “Maybe... Maybe Atlanta isn’t what we thought it was, Dale...”  
     He shot him an incredulous look. “So we’re just gonna... _lay here_? And give up?” His bushy brows lifted high up on his head. He looked to Laura-Mae now. “We’ve got to try, don’t we?”  
     Again Laura-Mae’s eyes shifted uneasily back and forth. Finally she nodded, albeit hesitantly. “Yeah, but... I... I don’t know Dale, maybe we should just...wait until it’s daytime at least...”  
     “And what if _they_ decide to attack while we’re asleep?” He gestured openly at his windshield. “Anything in Atlanta...has _got_ to be safer than this!”  
     Laura-Mae looked silently and somberly down at her feet.  
     Jeff stood to his full and tall height. “Okay. Alright, I’ll... I’ll make sure we get there. Let’s just... Let’s double back.” He didn’t exactly sound excited about his decision. Neither did Dale.  
     “Hey, I’m sorry, son. I didn’t expect this to happen...any more than you or her... But we’ve _got_ to keep going.”  
     Laura-Mae stared steadily at her feet, but now she was nodding. 

     ‘ _He’s right... Can’t just lay down and die... Marty definitely wouldn’t want that. Just gotta get to Atlanta...then things’ll cool down..._ ’ 

     Somehow she was left feeling even more uneasy than before.

     ‘ _Dad’s probably still there._ ’ 

     The thought sprang into her head like a bear trap snapping down on a fox’s brittle hind leg. She ignored it, trying instead to focus on Jeff and Dale’s continuing conversation. Although admittedly, it had started to get hazy.  
     “Yeah. I hope the radio was right...for everyone’s sake,” Jeff was still sounding far off.  
     “Well there’s only one way to find out. Hey, are you ready? ...You okay?”  
     Laura-Mae’s attention snapped back up at them. “Huh, me? Yeah! Uh, so... Let me just...go back up!” With a weak smile she briskly excused herself, pushing open the side door and stepping quickly down onto the road. Pushing the door quietly shut behind her, she drew in a deep breath.  
     Taking another glance around, Laura-Mae looked up to see Ringo still sitting up straight, staring steadily out the windshield. When she saw Laura-Mae her ears went back, and her body started to wiggle.  
     Once she had opened her driver’s side door, she climbed in and threw her arms around Ringo’s neck, burying her face into the warm scruff there.  
     “I’m _so_ glad you’re here, girl.”  
     Ringo licked at her cheeks, and Laura-Mae leaned away when she heard Jeff and Dale’s vehicles revving up. Drawing in a deep breath, she started up hers too, and threw it in reverse. Trying to forget that the two would _certainly_ be watching her “driving,” and _definitely_ be judging how many points were going to be in this turn, she managed to focus. After she had pulled far enough off the road for Dale to reverse past her and get turned around, Jeff followed up, and then Laura-Mae turned and followed behind him.  
     The convoy made a neat little journey back up from where they came, and made a few assuredly illegal turns to get onto the next exit.

     ‘ _I think this is the one time I’m actually sad there_ **_aren’t_ ** _any cops around... Hope they’re okay..._ ’

     Laura-Mae frowned out of her windshield, her hopes falling further and further the more wreckage and waste they passed by. In the old times, before the whole entire world went to hell in a handbasket, Laura-Mae had always cherished trips up to Atlanta. Whenever she would get close enough, close enough to see the city’s skyline and the big buildings reaching high up into the air, her whole body would swell with wondrous excitement. It was a rare treat. Whether she was going to a _super nerdy_ anime convention, or going on a field trip with her art class to see the Bodies exhibit, Atlanta was a city she loved from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.  
     When finally the capital of the Peach State was in plain view, thick clouds of smoke rose up from wrecked and ruined buildings. Chills ran along Laura-Mae’s skin, and tears flowed freely from her squinted up eyelids.  
     “God, no...” Her voice strained and caught against the lump in her throat. “This... This can’t be real...” But the closer the convoy came to the city, the clearer and clearer it was that Atlanta was _not_ what they had hoped. This was real.  
     Faintly Laura-Mae could hear screams -- _human_ screams, screams for help. Tires squealed, and Jeff’s Jeep flew forward and then come to an abrupt halt several meters from the overpass that cast an opaque shadow on the highway under it. Her heart started to pound when a few shots rang out, and Dale’s Winnebago came to a stop as well.  
     “Goddamnit...” Laura-Mae started to grip her steering wheel tightly, leaving her engine switched on this time as she pulled to a stop. Dale hopped out of his driver’s side door, gun in hand, and he waved frantically up at Laura-Mae’s direction, gesturing for her to follow.  
     “Fuck... _Fuck...”_ Laura-Mae yanked Pixie up from behind her seat and hauled herself out of the RV. She slammed the door behind her and charged forward, following the sounds of gunfire and shouting that continued to ring out around her.

     ‘ _I can’t do this again._ _I can’t... I_ ** _can’t_** _!_ ’

     Stopping in front of the Winnebago, Laura-Mae drew in the full scope of everything with wide and watery eyes. Jeff was holding off a small horde of sick folks, shooting neatly at their chests and legs. They made a messy attempt at crawling over each other, gnashing their teeth and dragging themselves along. Laura-Mae’s breath caught in her throat when she spotted Dale helping two blonde women to unload their car, smoke rising in a thick cloud from its hood.  
     Laura-Mae jogged over to them, and without saying a word she grabbed up a few bags and slung them over her shoulders. As much as she could carry. Dale nodded over to her and made his way back to his RV. The women followed after him, one of them frantically and repeatedly thanking him.  
     “Thank you,” she sobbed, “you saved our lives!”  
     “I need backup!” Jeff’s voice rose to a slightly higher pitch than Laura-Mae had heard thus far. She looked over at Dale, who was preoccupied with hauling the women’s bags up into the Winnebago.  
     “Now!” Jeff shouted out again.  
     Trying her best not to hyperventilate, Laura-Mae threw the bags she’d gathered in their direction, then sprinted over to his side.  
     Pulling Pixie up to her shoulder and flicking the safety switch, Laura-Mae took aim while Jeff stepped neatly behind her, reloading his pistol. She squeezed her carbine’s trigger, and pushed against the force that tried to knock her back a step. The shot cracked like lightning into the air, and her bullet went sinking into one of the psycho’s chests, sending them falling back and taking a few down with them. Laura-Mae watched in horror while they stood themselves up, and kept right on at them.  
     She fired at another one that had gotten too close for comfort, managing to wing its neck. Her adrenaline was making her shake, and she jumped when Jeff started firing again from her side. He dropped a few bodies before finally Dale was hollering over at them.  
     “We’re clear!” Laura-Mae could just barely hear him over the ringing in her ears.  
     Laura-Mae and Jeff moved in tandem, making swift turns and darting back to their vehicles. Laura-Mae pulled back unceremoniously into the ditch, sending Ringo jostling around in her seat.  
     “Hold on to your ass, Ringo!” She clenched her teeth and yanked the steering wheel around, slamming her foot on the break. There was a heavy crumpling sound from somewhere behind her, but she didn’t have a chance to think on it. By the time Dale and Jeff had both been cleared, Laura-Mae could already hear the sick people slapping at the sides of her RV again. Ringo began to bark, and when Laura-Mae looked over at her, she couldn’t help but notice the sea of people just outside her window.  
     She slammed her foot on the gas, but she didn’t move forward.  
     “Come on, you bitch, _move_!” Laura-Mae shouted and shifted her weight around in her seat, as though it might help, practically standing on the gas pedal. Ringo kept right on barking while more and more hands started to slap at the Travelcraft, tilting and pushing it just barely. As it turns out they had helped her, although not on purpose of course, freeing her rear bumper from the very edge of the guard rail.  
     The RV jerked forward, and Laura-Mae had to yank her wheel to the side. The weight of the vehicle shifted over, and her heart jumped up into her throat. With a harsh bump it fell back onto all four tires, and Laura-Mae gripped the wheel tightly, jerking it back towards the center of the road.  
     As her heart steadied, and Ringo quieted down, a smile spread across her face. Within moments she saw the wonderful sight of two sets of familiar tail-lights, making neat lines in the dark night.  
     “Holy, _shit_!” Laura-Mae started to laugh. “ _Holy fucking shit_! That... That just _fucking_ happened!” She caught her breath, her knuckles still white against the steering wheel. As she caught up to the Winnebago, she started to calm herself. Ringo whined, but Laura-Mae pried one had free of the wheel long enough to run it in smooth, calming strokes from her head down to her scruffy shoulders.  
     “We made it, Ringo... We... We’re alive! You don’t need to cry...” Catching her breath, she flicked her eyes up at her rearview mirror. For the second time that night she took in the sight of thick clouds of black smoke choking out the stars. A dizzying thought popped into her mind like a bursting party balloon.

     ‘ _Dad was probably there..._ ’

     She choked back a sob.

     “You don’t need to cry...” Laura-Mae drew her hand back to herself. Her vision grew dark at its edges, blurred with tears.

     ‘ _I’m sure they made it out..._ ’

     She shook her head.

     ‘ _Or maybe they got out of Atlanta before..._ ’

     Still she was shaking her head. “Before...the _bombs_ fell?” Try as she might to piece it all together in her head, nothing made a lick of sense. So she did the easier thing and focused only on Dale’s tail lights. “And...where do we go now...?” The question lingered on, seeming to echo all around her.

     ‘ _How will Marty find me? I can’t... I can’t go too far..._ ’

     A sinking feeling dropped into the pit of her stomach, and her tears from before finally spilled over her eyelids.  
     “What am I supposed to do _now_?” She sniffled and wiped her eyes dry with the back of her hand.  
     Ringo craned her neck over to Laura-Mae, letting out a couple of brisk cries and wagging the tip of her tail. Laura-Mae let out a pathetic and airy laugh.  
     “I’m okay, Ringo. Thanks for checking.” She threw an arm around her neck, keeping an eye on the road while she leaned back into her seat and ruffled Ringo’s scruffy head fur. Ringo shook her coat out and let out a dismissive sneeze before climbing back between the seats and going to stretch out on the couch.  
     “Tch. Lucky.” Laura-Mae smirked. “Just another day for the _princess_ , huh? Can’t I at least get a little _gratitude_ for hauling your hairy ass around?”  
     Ringo yawned and laid her head down on her paws. Her eyebrows twitched while she looked around.  
     “Figures,” Laura-Mae kept smiling, loosening up considerably.  
     After they’d all gotten a good distance away from Atlanta, about two or three miles, the convoy came to another stop. Laura-Mae sighed.  
     “No, I’m _glad_ there’s more people...” She huffed while she turned her engine off. “Well... Glad Dale and Jeff could help them...” Calming her pre-socialization jitters, she nodded to herself. Ringo poked her head up and let out another big yawn, shaking her head a little.  
     “You know the drill. Be right back.” For what she could only hope would be the last time that night she dropped down onto the road, shutting the door behind her. Appreciating the significant _lack_ of eerie growling in the forest, Laura-Mae lingered just a moment on her path up into Dale’s RV. She stopped at his rear bumper and leaned her palm up against it, looking out into the forest.  
     When she heard Jeff walking up to the Winnebago, and she stopped herself from stepping out to meet him. Instead she waited until she heard Dale’s door opening, then closing, and finally she stepped out from behind the RV. Taking in a deep breath and shaking out her nervous energy with a couple of hops on each foot, she made her way over to the door. Once she drew it open she let herself in and slipped into the back while the rest of them talked amongst themselves.  
     The older of the two blondes was speaking with a serious tone, and a serious face to match it. Along with her bright green-blue eyes and distinct jaw, she left Laura-Mae with the impression that she was one tough lady.  
     “Thank you, again...” The tough lady trailed off, looking over at Dale.  
     “Dale,” he chimed in with a gentle smile. “Don’t worry about it. And Jeff, here,” he gestured over to him, and he stepped forward. Jeff’s brown eyes were looking off to the side, seeming distant, but he offered up a polite wave. “We’re just glad we could help.”  
     Now the younger blonde spoke up. “I’m Amy. This is my sister, Andrea. And you...you saved our lives!” She was giving Jeff and Dale both a friendly and bright smile under sparkling eyes that matched her sister’s exactly.  
     Amy’s gaze drifted over to Laura-Mae. “Thank you, really...”  
     “Oh!” Dale looked genuinely surprised seeing Laura-Mae standing there. He kept smiling while he waved her forward. “This is...uh... I can’t believe-- I haven’t even gotten your name yet!” All their eyes landed on her, and she could almost feel her skin itching with anxiety.  
     “It’s... My name, uh... Laura-Mae.”  
     “Thank you, Laura-Mae,” Andrea said. In response Laura-Mae only nodded, giving her a brief smile before looking down at her feet.  
     Jeff finally spoke up now, his voice sounding distant. “What happened...in Atlanta?”  
     Andrea shook her head, her full lips setting into a straight line. Amy’s eyes fell to the table she was sitting at, and she laced her fingers neatly together on the tabletop. Andrea put her hand gently onto Amy’s shoulder.  
     “I managed to get her out... We were...coming back from visiting our parents. I was taking her back to her university, and then...all of this...”  
     Amy started to nod, looking up at them again. “You really did save us. I mean it... Atlanta... The whole place is just... _gone_. We barely got out before they...started dropping bombs...”  
     “Who...?” Jeff’s question was a cautious one.  
     “I don’t know... Terrorists? The government?”  
     “Does it even matter?” Andrea asked bluntly. “All that matters now...is where we’re going from here.”  
     “I know somewhere,” Dale said. “Somewhere I’ve camped before...” His dark eyes started to shine while his lips curled into a light smile. “Beautiful spot. A quarry, not too far from here. It’s way outta the way too. Nice and quiet.”  
     “And this place...it’s safe, right?” Andrea kept her firm tone, and she gripped Amy’s shoulder a little more tightly.  
     “I’d bet my Winnebago on it,” he smiled.  
     Andrea and Amy exchanged brief glances before Andrea finally nodded up at Dale. “Okay then... Take us there.”  
     “I’m not going,” Jeff piped up.  
     The whole group gave him a stare.  
     Dale’s eyebrows furrowed. “What are you talking about, son?”  
     “I... I can’t stay here. I’ve got family back in Washington. I can’t just...” He sighed. “I told you I’d get you to Atlanta. And I tried, Dale. I really did... I’m sorry it wasn’t what we thought it was.”  
     Dale pat Jeff’s shoulder. “Hey, it’s not your fault. How could you have known?”  
     “He’s right,” Amy reassured him gently. “There were so many people trying to get in... ‘Cause they said it was safe, y’know? And maybe it was...at some point...”  
     Jeff shook his head. “Either way... I just can’t go with you guys. I’m sorry.”  
     “Won’t you at least come with us to the quarry?” Dale’s voice was pleading, but only just. “At least get some rest there before you head out.”  
     “I can’t keep doing this. I mean... Haven’t you noticed? _Everywhere_ we go, there’s just...more and more of those things... This is _it_ , Dale. And if I don’t have much time left... I at least want to try and spend it with my family.”  
     Dale stayed quiet for a long while. Then he patted Jeff’s shoulder again and nodded. “Well... Good luck, son. We...we appreciate all your help.”  
     Jeff shook his hand when it was offered to him. “I hope the quarry is what you guys are looking for. Sorry...” He looked back over at Laura-Mae. “Take care of that dog, okay?”  
     Laura-Mae offered a weak laugh. “I will... Thanks, Jeff... Drive safe.”  
     Amy frowned and waved over at him, and Andrea only gave him a parting nod and a final thank you.  
     “Hold up!” Dale hurried towards the back of the Winnebago, then lifted up a jug of crystal clear water.  
     Jeff held up a dismissive hand, “No, Dale, you hang on to that.”  
     “I _insist_ ,” Dale pushed the jug over to him. And with a resigned sigh and a placid smile, Jeff took it into one arm.  
     “Thanks, Dale. Bye, guys...”  
     With that, he had opened up the door, walked out, and quietly shut it behind him. They waited in silence and listened to Jeff’s Jeep starting up, and growing quiet as it faded into the distance. And he was gone.  
     Then, after a while, Dale finally asked, “Are you coming with us, Laura-Mae?”  
     She looked over at him, then Amy and Andrea, all of them looking expectantly at her for an answer.

     ‘ _...This is about as close to Atlanta as it’s gonna get._ ’

     “You said it’s not too far from here, right? The quarry?”  
     Dale nodded.  
     “Alright. Lead the way...” Laura-Mae was pleasantly surprised at receiving smiles from all three of them, and she returned it in earnest. “...Let’s do this!” It wasn’t hard for her to feign excitement, and Amy’s smile got bigger. Laura-Mae gave them all a parting wave, then headed back to the Travelcraft.  
     Sitting back down into the driver’s seat, and revving up the engine, a deep sigh escaped her.  
     “He’ll find me... He’ll find me...”


	3. Feels Like Summer

**EPISODE III**

**Feels Like Summer**

★★★

     The further they drove without running into any wreckage, the better Laura-Mae felt. But not by much. Dark night hugged closely all around them, hiding who knew what in the dense Georgia forests she once had found so much comfort in. The full moon hung high up in the sky, casting a hazy gray light over the thickening forests before them. Ringo had since re-joined Laura-Mae up in the cab. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth and her breath fogged up the window while she panted and took in the scenery that rolled past.  
     “...Does look pretty peaceful, huh?” Laura-Mae leaned forward to look out the windshield and up at the stars, shining brightly and clearly. “And no screaming yet... That's a good enough sign, right?”  
     Ringo only wagged the tip of her tail, distracted by studying the passing foliage.  
     Looking out the windshield, Laura-Mae's heart fluttered at the sight of light smoke rising up into the sky. “No... Not again...” Her breath hitched. “Maybe Jeff was right...”  
     When Dale's Winnebago came to a stop so did Laura-Mae's Travelcraft. Apprehensively she waited to see him jumping out of his RV, but he never did. Instead, a beam of light shone towards him, headed in a neat and slow bouncing rhythm over and then shone into his window. Laura-Mae could make out the silhouette of a well-muscled man, but she could make out little of his other features.  
     Dale rolled on forward, and the shadowy man signaled for her to move on through. As she crawled past him, she gave a weak smile out the window. He shined his light up at her, obscuring her from seeing his own expression. She winced and rubbed her eyes while she followed closely behind Dale.  
     Ringo's ears were laid back, and her eyes were wide, shifting and snapping back and forth.  
     “Hey, we're safe now, girl!” Laura-Mae tried to sound reassuring.

     ' _But what if we're_ **_not_ ** _safe? What if that guy just told Dale “Hey, pull over, I'm gonna take all your stuff!” But... Dale wouldn't just go along with that, right? Sure I've only known the guy for, what...a couple hours, but..._ '

      Her slitted eyelids peered through the windshield, looking for any kind of secret distress signals he might be giving her, listening for maybe some morse code via horn honks or an elaborate pattern of alarmed whistles, but there was none.  
     What she _did_ notice was a campfire with four curious faces illuminated dimly by it. There were two tents not far from the fire, and a portly man was crawling out of one of them, shooting the newcomers a hateful look. Laura-Mae pulled up behind Dale along the cliff of a wide quarry.  
     Bright moonlight illuminated the lake down in its basin, gentle waves rippling and sparkling smoothly. Once Dale had shut off his engine she did the same. Dale, Andrea, and Amy all stepped out the side of the Winnebago and looked around the clearing just on the lip of the quarry’s edge. The man who had ushered them in was already striding up to greet them, and one of the women from the campfire was bustling over to his side.  
     From her seat Laura-Mae watched, preemptively calming Ringo’s uneasy growling. Her scruffy fur was warm and soft between Laura-Mae’s clammy fingers. The conversation between them all looked peaceable enough, though Laura-Mae couldn’t hear one single word of it. When Dale looked in Laura-Mae’s direction and waved her over, she showed him a weak smile but suppressed a silent sigh.  
     “Go on and get in the back, Ringo. Everything’s fine now...I think...”  
     A whispery whine whistled through Ringo’s nose, and she hung her head low. Reluctantly she crawled back through the gap between the seats and headed towards the bed in the back. Her claws scraped against the linoleum as she jumped up onto it, and Laura-Mae swung the driver’s side door open in turn.  
     Grass tickled coolly at her bare soles, and she only now realized how much she’d been missing it. Taking in another deep and steadying breath, she paced stiffly over to the group, watching her feet the whole way over.

     ‘ _More people..._ ’ 

     It took everything to stop her from groaning.

     ‘ _Guess I should be thankful... At least they’re friendly so far..._ ’

     When she was within earshot, Dale gestured over toward her with one open palm sweeping in her direction.  
     “Here she is -- Laura-Mae. She was at that RV park with me.”  
     “Well I’m glad you all got out okay.” The new woman had a friendly voice, mature, and with a light southern drawl that made Laura-Mae feel right at home. Her straight and long brown hair draped loosely over her thin shoulders, and her pale face was set with a pretty and pleasant smile under rosy cheeks.  
     “I’m Lori. This is Shane,” she patted gently at his back. “He was helping me and my son Carl get to Atlanta before...” Her auburn eyes flicked over to Andrea and Amy, who were exchanging sympathetic glances with one another. “Then we set up here with Carol and her family.” Back at the fire sat a small and feeble-looking woman with short, graying hair against her scalp. A young girl was seated next to her, huddling close. Her dark blonde hair fell neatly around her prominent cheeks, framing the wide-eyed stare she was giving the newcomers. Just beside her sat a smaller boy with brown hair in a neat cut that rested above his blue eyes. And, finally, the portly man who Laura-Mae assumed was Carol’s husband was still giving the lot of them a dirty look under an unkempt, stubbled face and a mop of short, dark hair.  
     “Great minds think alike I guess,” Dale gave Shane and Lori a bright smile. “Good to see some friendly faces for a change.”  
     “Yeah, you’re right about that,” Shane’s broad jaw was tilted down, but he offered a smirk up to Dale and his dark eyes squinted. “Past couple of days we were thinking we’re all that’s left.”  
      Dale’s face grew a little somber and he took another long look at their surroundings. “Sure is startin’ to look that way...” All of them fell silent, and Laura-Mae looked briefly up at them, catching none of their sights.  
     Dale continued, briskly, “But, that’s the great thing about humans. Look at us, all coming together...in a time of crisis!” As the group looked and nodded and smiled at one another in what must have surely been a _very_ touching moment, Laura-Mae snapped her attention down to the ground where she decided it belonged.  
     Lori piped up, softly, “You’re right, Dale... Boy, I sure am glad y'all came around.” Laura-Mae looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of her wiping a rogue tear from her eye and rubbing it casually into the thigh of her jeans. “Get settled in. I’m sure you’re all exhausted. We haven’t had any of those sick folks up here yet, and Shane’s on watch duty tonight.” Her eyes sparkled when she smiled up at him. “We can do all the real introductions tomorrow.”  
     Laura-Mae had to stop herself from letting out a sigh of relief. Instead, she only gave them a polite wave as they walked back over to the fire. Andrea and Amy headed back up into Dale’s RV, but Dale followed along behind Shane and Lori.

     ‘ _So much for being a hermit..._ ’

     While she was walking back to her RV, Laura-Mae cracked a crooked-toothed smile.

     ‘ _Well, he’s welcome to it... Guess I should...try to get some sleep..._ ’

     She crawled back up into her driver’s seat, and let out a long sigh. “If I even _can_ fall asleep...”

     ‘ _You won’t._ ’

     Again she sighed. “I know...” She looked over her shoulder and leaned over to see that Ringo had already drifted off, rolled onto her back and looking comfortable on her bed.  
     “Lucky,” Laura-Mae scoffed. Her eyes flicked over to the campfire. Carol’s husband seemed to have gone back into the tent, leaving only Dale and his new friends.  
     Laura-Mae stretched her arms out in front of her, letting out a yawn. It felt almost surreal to not have growling, gurgling sick people slapping at the sides of the Travelcraft. Leaning forward and welcoming the sight of the stars again, they seemed to be shining even more brightly. For the first time since her campfire had set the forest around her ablaze, Laura-Mae felt hopeful.  
     She climbed up into her own bed above the cab, and she traced her fingers along the glow-in-the-dark galaxy of stars she’d plastered there when she first got her RV. The sound of Marty’s sweet teasing danced along inside her head. He had poked fun at her, calling her a dork and a nerd, all the while helping her to stick them in just the right places.  
     “Just not the same,” she mused to herself as her eyelids came to a dreary close. Exhaustion started to tug at her, mingling with pleasant memories of Marty. When in the next moment Ringo was letting out a low growl, her eyes snapped open. Precariously Laura-Mae leaned over the edge of her bed, already anticipating the growl of something terrible trying to get into the RV. But she waited, and she listened.  
     There was a brisk knock on her side door, and Ringo let out a frenzy of sharp barks. Laura-Mae hauled herself down from her bed, and stepped in big swift strides back towards her.  
     “Shh! Hush, it’s okay girl!” Ringo kept right on yapping, and Laura-Mae grew more miffed by the millisecond. “Shut up!” she finally scolded her through clenched teeth. Ringo resorted to the low growling she’d been doing moments before. And, making sure to correct her furrowed brow, Laura-Mae finally went over to her side door and opened it. Ringo was stepping over to investigate, her claws click-clacking against the linoleum.  
     “Go on, get back,” Laura-Mae told her, pushing her gently back with her leg. Looking through the crack she’d made in the door, Laura-Mae was greeted with Dale’s smiling face.  
     “Hope I didn’t wake ya,” he was still smiling, looking over at Ringo who had quieted down and timidly started to wag her tail.  
     “No, no... I uh...” Laura-Mae let out a nervous laugh. “To be honest I...don’t know if I’ll get much sleep tonight.” Her nervous laughter continued, lifting up into the air like a brittle little butterfly.  
     Dale started to nod, “Oh, I understand. I just wanted to make sure you’re still okay. And I wanted to tell you that I think these folks... They’re good people.”  
     Before he even finished his sentence Laura-Mae was nodding in agreement. “Well they haven’t pointed any guns at us or tried to eat us yet, so...”  
     Dale offered up a polite chuckle. “Exactly. Either way I think we can all finally rest easy. We’re gonna have a big breakfast tomorrow and get a game plan together. To really help fortify this place, you know?”  
     “Okay, uh... Yeah, I'll uh... I’ll be there!” Already Laura-Mae was regretting her words, her promise, and anxiety preemptively coursed through her. “Just uh... Just come get me, I guess.”  
    “Maybe you can bring your friend there,” Dale's gaze rested on Ringo for a moment, and she let out a small whine and tried to push past Laura-Mae’s leg to get to him. He reached his hand out and she tentatively sniffed at it, then let out another wary growl and started to back up. With a neat turn she headed to her bed in the back.  
     “Uh, sorry,” Laura-Mae forced out a laugh, pushing it out of her like a nervous newbie skydiver out of an airplane, “she... She gets a little anxious around new people.”  
     “Does she?” Dale lifted an eyebrow and briefly studied Laura-Mae’s face.  
     She shifted her eyes uneasily left and right. “But yeah, that... It’d probably do her some good to see some other people. But it’s... It’s been a _long_ day.”  
     “Don’t I know it. But it seems like this place is even better than what we were hoping for. Shame Jeff didn’t come with us.”  
     Laura-Mae opened the door a little more and leaned against the doorway, looking down at her feet. “Yeah, but... I can’t blame him, I guess... Took a lot of guts, though. I can’t... I can’t imagine being out there...by myself.”  
     Dale crossed his arms over his chest, giving another inquisitive look up at her. “Yeah... So it’s just you and your dog, huh?”  
     “Well... Kind of. I uh... I came out here to see...my family. My uh... My fiance...stayed back home.”  
     Immediately Dale’s eyebrows scrunched sadly up, and he frowned. “Sorry to hear it... Have you gotten in touch with him at all?”  
     “Yeah! Just, uh... Just before the phones...stopped. He said...he’d come get me.”  
     “Huh. Explains why you wanted to stay back at the RV park.”  
     “Yeah...”  
     “Well,” Dale made an attempt to shift the tone considerably, “I’m sure he’ll track you down. You know what they say: Love will find a way! Besides, this is about the safest place we could have hoped to find, I think.”  
     “It really is...” Now Laura-Mae was smiling a genuine, bright smile. “You weren’t joking, though. It really is beautiful out here.”  
     “Ah!” He gave her a proud grin and planted his hands on the hips of his cargo shorts. “Wait ‘til you see it in the light of day!” He drew in a breath through flared nostrils. “Yeah, I always loved this spot. My wife would have loved it too, I think. She really fancied little places like this. Outta the way, you know? Surrounded by nature.”  
     “I can’t blame her... I love places like this too...” After a few moments of silence, Laura-Mae dared to ask, “So, your wife... Is she, uh... I mean, sorry if it’s a rude question.”  
     “Oh, no. She went a few years ago. Cancer.”  
     “Oh, I... I’m sorry, Dale. I shouldn't have--”  
     “Nah, nah," he waved a dismissive hand at the air in front of his face. "It’s uh...part of life, you know?” Dale shifted his weight, but his casual expression remained unchanged.  
     “I...can’t imagine...” For a moment though, she did, and she frowned.  
     Dale was quick to bring her back to the real world. “How long have you two been together? You and your fiance.”  
     “Oh! Well... Around five years now.”  
     “Haven’t tied the knot yet?”  
     She smiled. “We’re getting around to it... Or we _were_...back when we had all the time in the world...” Her gloomy gaze drifted past his shoulder to look around at their campsite again. “Now it looks like we won’t get a chance, huh? I mean...what are the odds this will all just...blow over?”  
     For the first time it seemed, Dale didn’t have anything to say.  
     To even her own surprise, it was Laura-Mae who finally broke the silence that had fallen over them. “Thanks, by the way...for helping me get out of the RV park, I mean.”  
     Dale’s somber frown had lifted back into a genuine smile. “Couldn’t just leave you there, could I? What kind of person would that make me?”  
     She snickered. “An asshole, I guess. Glad you aren’t one.”  
     “Not yet anyway,” he laughed. “Feeling’s mutual. Hey, try to get some shut-eye, okay? Big day tomorrow.”  
     Already the saturated visions of unblinking eyes staring at her like she was a strange sea creature in a fish bowl started to plague the back of Laura-Mae’s brain. She only nodded, and then Dale headed back over to the Winnebago. Laura-Mae looked after him for a moment, watching him knock on the door to his RV before stepping up into it.

     ‘ _I’m lucky everyone around here seems...pretty cool so far. Then again...these new people could be... Well... No point losing sleep over it._ ’

     “...Even though I know I will.” Locking up the door behind her, Laura-Mae checked to see that her mobile home was all locked up nice and tight. With a light nod of approval and a glance in Ringo’s direction, Laura-Mae climbed back up into her bed. Her bleary eyes stared up at the ceiling, up at her glowing galaxy while she dozed in and out before her fearful thoughts and memories were washed over by saturated, dreamy visions. She smiled, thankful for the sensation, and was swallowed up into a deep sleep.

     It was Ringo’s gentle whining that woke Laura-Mae up. She rolled over, unceremoniously leaning over the edge of her bed to assess the situation. Through one slitted, sleep-swollen eye she could see her laid down in front of the door, sniffing at its edges and continuing with her sorrowful song.  
     “Need to go potty, Ringo?” Laura-Mae’s voice was scratchy, and she rubbed at her face with one hand, stretching the other out into the air. Ringo perked up in an instant, wagging her tail and starting to pant. “Alright, alright...” Laura-Mae sat slowly up, then crawled down to meet Ringo who started to sniff at her and spin in tight and excited circles.  
     “Let me just... Your leash...” Her still-hazy eyes shifted loosely to where Ringo’s leash always was, but it was nowhere to be found. “...Where...?” Her knees popped when she went down to the floor so she could look under the dinette table. The lilac leash was lying in a messy loop against the wall, hiding in the shadows. Laura-Mae reached out and grabbed it. “How did...?”  
     She sputtered as Ringo started to lick at her eyes, and she gently swatted her away while she stood and dusted her legs off. Like a sudden smack in the face she remembered where exactly they were, and how exactly they’d gotten there.  
     “Oh yeah...” Blinking, she rubbed at her eyes some more with the back of her hand. “Bet this got tossed around a lot...” Turning, she took in the sigh of the rest  of her RV. A couple of cans of food were strewn on the floor and dented. Ringo's tin water bowl was upside-down and laying in a puddle of water. She would have to do some cleaning later, but it would have to wait. Ringo had business to attend to. So she clipped the leash onto Ringo’s collar and stood up to rub at her puffy face. Memories from the night prior pelted her all at once, and she wanted nothing more than to believe that it was all a dream.

     ‘ _Yeah... I wish it_ **_was_ ** _a dream... But I know better than that..._ ’

     Indeed it had all been an unbelievable and unfathomable reality, and one that she found herself hopelessly caught up in nonetheless.

     ‘ _And Marty’s not here... How am I even supposed to do this without him?_ ’

     With nagging doubts lingering in her mind, Laura-Mae absentmindedly opened up the side door to her RV. She was jerked back into reality when Ringo jumped her way down onto the grass.  
     Laura-Mae’s eyelids fluttered up against the bright afternoon sun. When she managed to rein in her vision, she took in the hustling and bustling sight of her new camp in the light of day. Rather than only a small handful of folks milling about, however, there were tens upon twenties of folks, chatting and moving around and getting things together and set up.  
     “Where did--” She spoke the question aloud as she shut the door behind her, cut short as she was tugged harshly by the arm and away from her oncoming panic. Ringo led her along past Dale’s RV and skirted along feet away from the edge of the quarry. Between trying not to stand out and taking alternating looks between an utterly gorgeous blue lake and a truly terrifying _mass_ of new people, Laura-Mae wasn’t sure just how to process all of it. So she didn’t. Instead she locked her eyes down onto the dark spot on Ringo’s back, and let her hairy friend lead them away from it all and into the thick tangle of trees that surrounded the camp’s clearing.  
     Once Ringo had squatted down and relieved herself, Laura-Mae pulled her nervous sights away and back into the heart of camp. From such a distance, behind the cover of familiar Georgia pines, she felt safer to assess the situation.

     ‘ _That’s... There’s no way all these people were here last night... No way. So where the hell did--_ ’

     “Mornin’!” Dale’s voice was warm and cheery. Laura-Mae looked quickly over at him, reminding herself after a moment to offer him a weak but polite smile.  
     “Thought I’d let you two sleep in,” he kept smiling, walking up to stand beside her. Ringo walked cautiously up to him, sniffing at his khaki cargo pants. Laura-Mae held her on a short leash, wrapping the excess around her hand and squeezing it tightly.  
     “Uh... Thanks...”  
     Dale followed her eyesight over his shoulder and onto the moving, lively bodies still making their way around camp.  
     “Oh, yeah. We got more folks comin’ in here and there. A church group and a few stragglers. A family too. Seems like this place is more popular than I thought!”  
     Laura-Mae only sighed in response, shifting it quickly into a weak laugh. Her wide eyes flitted between all the new faces.  
     Dale patted her shoulder, pulling her back into the present moment. “Seems like they’re all friendly enough. Willing to work too.” He straightened up and scratched at Ringo’s head. “Speaking of, I talked Shane into giving you a job I think you’ll like.”  
     “Oh, yeah?”  
     “Yeah. You’re good at being lookout so that is what you shall be! We figured you could pull your RV up a little more, keep watch from the woods while I keep watch from here.” He pointed his thumb back at the Winnebago.  
     “Oh! Uh... Yeah, I could... I could do that!” She was trying to feign excitement.  
     “Figured your friend here could listen out for us. She’ll hear a lot better out there. Without all these people around, you know?” Dale gave a casual wink to Laura-Mae, and Ringo started to wag her tail and whine, licking at his hand.  
    “Sounds like she’s up for it, huh? And who knows? Maybe you'll be the first to see your fiance when he gets here.” He scratched behind Ringo’s ear, and her eyes sparkled up at him through the fur that was draped over them. She let out a louder, higher whine and her mouth parted into a panting smile.  
     Laura-Mae grinned, genuinely, “Thank you, Dale.”  
     His hand gave a dismissive wave. “Let me know when you’re all settled in. I’ll get you something to eat.”  
     “You don’t have to do that! I’ve got some food. Seriously, save it for the people that don’t have it.”  
     “You’re the only one who hasn’t eaten yet. You and...”  
     “Ringo."  
     “You and Ringo... Alright, well... I’ll leave you to it! See you later, Ringo.” He gave her head a final pet, and Ringo was left pulling after him, but Laura-Mae held her back, watching him go.

      ‘ _Gosh... What a nice guy... I’m so lucky he’s here, man..._ ’

     With a few more gentle tugs on her leash, Laura-Mae was guiding Ringo deeper into the forest, staying close to the dirt road that cut through it. She was sure to walk slowly, keeping her eyes from looking down to watch where she stepped. She winced here and there at the feel of an odd rock, but it was easy enough to dismiss compared to the sharp paranoia that crept further into her the further she and Ringo paced into the woods.

     ‘ _It’s quiet..._ ’

     At first the thought had plagued her, but not for longer than a heartbeat.

     ‘ _It’s...nice._ ’

     Laura-Mae’s heart fluttered in her chest. Pleasant birdsong flowed listless around the rustling tree branches. Drawing in a deep breath through her nostrils, feeling suddenly much lighter than before, Laura-Mae wore a pleasant smile as she trailed along behind Ringo.  
     A rustling in the nearby foliage set them both alert, their heads whirling in unison over into the forest. Laura-Mae came to an abrupt halt and Ringo’s leash fell slack when she did the same. A low growl grumbled in her throat, and she lowered her head down so that it was level with her haunches. Laura-Mae took neat and silent steps over to her side, stopping when Ringo’s frazzled fur brushed against the side of her leg.  
     Silently the pair watched, waited. A trio of small, delicate does came limbering close, their heads raised and their large, black eyes staring right back at them. A sigh of relief pushed through Laura-Mae’s still-open lips, and Ringo whined over at them.  
     “H...Hey there...”  
     Two of the does darted off in neat unison, their shrieking calls and hoofbeats echoing into the forest. The final doe stood, staring right through Laura-Mae. This time she said nothing, watching the gentle beast with a faint smile. It took a cautious step towards them. Ringo padded an inch closer and then jumped back when it too sprung away after its companions. Laura-Mae let out an airy laugh and patted roughly at Ringo’s side.  
     “It’s alright, girl... Nothing out of the ordinary, huh?”  
     As her heart calmed its steady beating the pair continued on. They traveled around a quarter mile down the dirt road before Laura-Mae decided that her fat ass could walk no more and she headed back to camp.

     ‘ _May as well get a head-start on my...job? I mean I’m happy to do it, but... Marty...should be here today._ ’

     She drew in a deep breath, closing her eyes.

     ‘ _He_ **_will_ ** _be here today._ ’

     Trodding on a sharp and particularly pointy pebble, Laura-Mae came to an abrupt stop, spitting and cursing under her breath. Ringo stopped and turned, coming to  sniff at her foot and offering a gentle lick. Laura-Mae grit her teeth through a smile, patting at her head.  
     “It’s okay... Just a stupid rock...” She rubbed quickly at the sole of her foot before balancing herself. “Let’s just get back there and get parked... What do you think, Ringo? You like it out here, girl?”  
     Ringo’s ears perked up, and she closed her panting mouth and continued wagging her tail. Pleased. Laura-Mae smiled.  
     “Well come on! Let’s go get in the RV! Come on, girl!”  
     In response she dug her claws into the dirt, kicking up a few stones under them. She started at a light trot, pulling Laura-Mae along behind her. Watching her step a little more closely this time she followed with a beaming smile. On the shoulder of the dirt road, her bare feet slapped against the lush grass and crunchy pine needles. The wind tossed her hair in loose curls behind her, but the moment didn’t last long.  
     Slowing to a stop, Laura-Mae doubled over, grabbing her knees. Still smiling, she caught her wheezing breath for several strumming heartbeats before she could stand herself up straight.  
     “God I’m outta shape.” Taking in a final steadying breath Laura-Mae walked with Ringo the rest of the way to their tiny tin home on wheels. As they grew closer to the heart of the camp, her bubbling adrenaline began to shift its tides into a tingling and troubled feeling. Meeting eyes with Dale, he waved up at her. She waved back, and at Shane when he looked over to her. He returned the gesture, barely, then went back into his conversation with Dale.

     ‘ _Mr. Fuckin’ Sunshine over here..._ ’

     Laura-Mae drew her hand back down to her side and with a light frown traced her way around the perimeter of the still-bustling crowd. She and Ringo hauled themselves up into the RV, and the both of them made quick work of flopping onto the sofa and trying to cool off.  
     “I think it’s hotter in here than it is out there...” Laura-Mae rolled her eyes. “Where’s all the hookups when you need ‘em, huh?” Wiping sweat from her forehead, she took the few steps over to the driver’s seat and grabbed up her keys from the cupholder in the center console. “Sooner we get out, the sooner we can get outta _here_.” She cranked the engine to life. “No point wasting time anyway.” She smiled. “Marty’s gonna be here today!”  
     At his name, Ringo looked over at her, coming pacing over all perked up, her tail shifting hesitantly side to side.  
     “Yeah, girl! Marty’s gonna be here!”  
     Ringo whined and jumped up into the passenger’s seat. She watched the activity around camp while Laura-Mae maneuvered her way gingerly around Dale’s Winnebago. Occasionally she would give a polite and apologetic wave to the pedestrians milling about. She was met with a curious glance or two, but mostly friendly and tired smiles.

     ‘ _Oh yeah... I’m not the only poor son-of-a-bitch here..._ ’

     Creeping her way closer to the edge of the clearing, Laura-Mae only just noticed Dale waving his hat from a few yards to her right. She came to a halt and he approached her, jogging over to Ringo’s side of the car. At first Laura-Mae gulped, anticipating a growl from her canine companion. But she was pleasantly surprised at the gentle whining she let out.  
     With a light smile, Laura-Mae leaned over and started to roll down the window, and Ringo craned her neck out to lick at the air in front of Dale’s face.  
     “Okay, Ringo,” Laura-Mae gave her collar a light tug.  
     “She’s alright,” Dale smiled, reaching up to run his fingers through her moppy fringe. “How far out are ya goin’?”  
     “‘Bout half a mile. Everything seemed okay out there for now...got some deer around so...can’t be all bad.”  
     “Sounds good. Hey, hold up here a second!” Before Laura-Mae could protest, Dale was stepping over to the nearby fire and scooping up some eggs onto a paper plate. He walked across the front of her rig, and she rolled down her own window to meet him.  
     “Should still be warm at least,” he smiled up at her. “We oughta be having some fish tonight.”  
     Laura-Mae took the plate from him and set it in her lap. “Thanks, Dale.”  
     “Don’t mention it. I know you might not be here later tonight but hey... I’m sure your husband will be more than welcome.”  
     Her heart fluttered. “...Thank you. I, uh... Thanks...” She didn't bother to correct Dale. _Husband_ had a nice ring to it.  
     He slapped at her door. “Go get all set up. Talk to ya later.”  
     Laura-Mae nodded and waited for him to take a few steps back before setting her plate up on the dashboard and creeping further on down the dirt road. A cool breeze washed over her as they picked up speed. Ringo pushed her nose out the window, sneezing into the air.  
     They crested a small hill, and that is where Laura-Mae brought the Travelcraft to a stop, pulling off the shoulder and under one of the larger pine trees, its branches softly scraping against the RV’s roof.  
     “Alright, Ringo.” She looked eagerly over when Laura-Mae lifted her breakfast up off the dashboard. When she stood and ducked back into the RV, heading towards Ringo’s bowl, Ringo followed suit, her spotted tongue licking at her long, white mustache.  
     “Now... I know you’ve got plenty of food, but I think we should save it... I know, I know, you just _hate_ to be _forced_ to eat human food, but I think it’s for the best, you know?” Scraping a little more than half of her serving into the empty metal bowl, Ringo made no reservations about wolfing it down.  
     Laura-Mae scooped a forkful up into her mouth, turning and focusing her attention back out the windshield. Moments passed, then minutes. Her eyes never moved from the road on the horizon, ever unchanging save for the trees around it rustling and swaying. In her mind’s eye a golden car was speeding down some highway or another, its driver quiet and determined.  
     Setting her empty plate down, she trailed her way back up to her seat at the wheel, making slow work of removing her keys and placing them back into the cupholder.

     ‘ _He’ll be here... Any minute now... I mean I overslept for cryin' out loud! I know him. Nothing is going to stop him... Any minute now..._ ’

     She locked her eyes steadfast on the horizon.

     ‘ _He’s not coming._ ’

     Her knuckles shone through her pale flesh, the cartilage between the bones making shaky mini mountains.

     ‘ _You’re not worth it._ ’

     She grit her teeth.

     “No... But he... Marty loves me. He told me...” A light tickle scratched at the back of her throat. “And I love him... And...that’s all I need.” Laura-Mae inhaled deeply, fresh pine scent tenderly embracing her senses. She pried her hands away from the steering wheel, her sweaty flesh pulling noisily away from the faux-leather grip.  
     “Let’s get to work, Ringo!” Right as rain she came pacing dutifully up, tilting her head and pushing her ears in Laura-Mae’s direction. She rolled up both windows quick as she could, and grabbed Ringo’s leash from its usual spot slung over the back of the passenger's seat. “Time to stare at some trees for a while! Huh, girl? Wanna stare at some trees?”  
     Soon as she was clipped in, Ringo was tugging her way towards the side door.  
     “Okay, ease up!” Despite her master's command, the dog was on the dirt as soon as the door swung open, but this time Laura-Mae was sure to pull back in turn.  
     “Ease up, Ringo!”  
     She came to a stop, but her neck still pulled the leash taut.  
     “Okay, come here.”  
     Ringo kept staring out at the trees, and she started to slowly sit down onto her haunches.  
     Laura-Mae chuckled. “No, girl! Come here, you stubborn old lady!”  
     She stopped mid-sit and turned, padding slowly over to Laura-Mae’s side.  
     “Good girl, thank you. Okay now sit!”  
     Ringo sat.  
     “Good girl!” Laura-Mae patted at her head, but Ringo was looking past her, back towards camp. “Hey, it’s okay... Ringo, lay down.”  
     Her tongue lolled out of her mouth when she started to pant.  
     “Hey! You know you’re gonna have to start listening to me if we’re gonna get through this, right?”  
     One ear shifted in Laura-Mae’s direction, and she rolled her eyes in response.  
     “Ringo! Lay down!”  
     With a mumbling grumble, Ringo eased down onto her forepaws, stretching them out in front of her and yawning.  
     Laura-Mae huffed out a sigh. “Good job. Now stay.” She unclipped Ringo’s leash and looped it around one of the thin, metal bars holding her passenger side mirror up. Once the simple knot had been secured, Laura-Mae clipped it back onto Ringo's collar.  
     “Alright! Good girl!”  
     Ringo laid her head down onto her front paws, her bushy eyebrows twitching as her eyes darted around. Giving her a final light scoff, Laura-Mae stepped back up into the RV to retrieve Pixie. She stopped short of slinging the gun over her shoulder and studied it for a moment. Its magazine extended down in a long curve, holding maybe fifteen more rounds.  
     Visions of heads exploding and stomachs oozing plagued her mind, and she felt dizzy at them. It was in self defense. That was what she had to tell herself, anyway. That thought, at least, was much better than the choking agony of knowing she had _killed_ people. Sick or not. Then again...

     ‘ _Back at the RV park..._ ’

     Laura-Mae busied herself gathering up another, smaller magazine and shoving it into the side pocket of her shorts.

     ‘ _That guy... Donny... We all saw it. That guy was_ **_dead_ ** _... And all those people..._ ’

     Vivid visions of small intestines being stretched out and slurped up like spaghetti noodles made her stomach turn, and a chill ran up her spine.

     ‘ _That fucking virus..._ ’

     Her uneasy eyes drifted out the windshield once again.

     ‘ _Who knew...this’d be our extinction event..._ ’

     “I mean that’s _gotta_ be what this is... It has to be...”

     ‘ _Why even bother?_ ’

     Laura-Mae frowned. She threw her gaze down, and it happened to catch the glovebox.

     ‘ _It’s all over anyway... Just accept it._ ’

     Her eyebrows shifted down to meet at the top of her scrunched up nose, and she strode quickly over to the glovebox to pull it open. There among countless take-out menus, pens, and a few CDs rested a sizeable knife, tucked neatly into its black sheath. Laura-Mae grasped its handle and looked over it with a soft smile. Marty’s concerned face flickered under her heavy eyelids, and she could still feel the warmth of his hands cupping hers after she had taken it.  
_“You never know...”_ She could practically hear his voice clear as day.

     ‘ _No... I never know._ ’

     She sighed lightly.

     ‘ _But Marty does... Of course he does..._ ’

     Laura-Mae slipped the knife into her other pocket, then hurried to head back out with Ringo.  
     She ruffled her fur. “Alright, I’ll be up on the roof! Just holler if you hear something!”  
     After she’d climbed about halfway up the rear ladder Laura-Mae stopped long enough to study the roof. There was room for her to sit, just at the back, without having to make friends with stickery green pine needles. So she hauled herself up to sit cross-legged and scratch at where a few of the stickery green pine needles started to itch her arm, and she stared out at the dirt road in serene silence. Any minute now. Marty would be there any minute now.


	4. Hunger of the Pine

**EPISODE IV**

**Hunger of the Pine**

★★★

     The bright afternoon sun had sunk and nestled down into the pointed, deep green tops of the pine trees. A hazy orange was cast on everything it touched. The breeze had dwindled into pitiful gusts blustering through every half hour or so. Laura-Mae swatted countless gnats from her eyes, and sweat pricked through her pores and trickled down into her frazzled hair.

     ‘ _ Still... No sign of him... _ ’

     She sighed.

     ‘ _ Any minute now... Any minute now... _ ’

     There was a crackling rustle in the foliage just to her right. It was the soft snap of twigs breaking and branches bending, and it drew Laura-Mae’s swift attention. She pulled her eyelids nearly together, her brow falling down to match them. Her eyes searched in fervor for perhaps another dead-alive, shambling up to greet her...or eat her...  
     From yards and yards away Laura-Mae met the deep black gaze of what she assumed to be the same doe from earlier that day. The deer craned her neck down to chew at the shoots of green grass pushing up from the clutter fallen and dead leaves, and her two confidants milled closely by her side.  
     Laura-Mae could feel her short burst of adrenaline waning, her tendons loosening, and her breath coming to her a little easier. She studied the group of deer for several long moments, admiring their graceful steps and their gentle movements. In particular she paid attention to her “friend” from before. She was smaller than the does that had followed her, and seemingly unafraid. While the others would bring their heads up at just about every little noise the forest made, she would only continue grazing, flicking her big ears on the odd occasion.  
     The faint sound of something whizzing through the air sent Laura-Mae’s heart fluttering. The doe she had been watching so closely slumped down to the forest floor with a dying grunt, and her two friends darted off in unison, their cries of terror bouncing off the tree trunks they soared past. Ringo started to growl from where she lay down in the grass, and Laura-Mae was quick and quiet to hush her. She ducked down, her gaze shifting in a scramble from left to right around where the deer’s body now lie.  
     A hissing breath escaped Laura-Mae through her teeth, and she made silent and swift moves down the ladder. When her feet touched the grass below she shuffled over to Ringo and unclipped her, taking her by the collar.  
     “Go on, go lay down in the back,” she beckoned under her breath while she opened the side door. She ushered Ringo up into the vehicle. “I’ll be right back, okay? Hush -- stay quiet.”  
     Ringo looked past her into the forest for a few lingering moments before she climbed the short set of stairs and clicked her nails onto the linoleum towards the back of the RV. The sound of them scraping around and a light thump on the mattress confirmed that at least this time she had elected to obey.  
     Satisfied, Laura-Mae shut the door and tiptoed to the nearest tree across the dirt road and pressed her back into its bark. She peered around, seeing the doe’s still body lying where it had been since she’d fallen, and the shaft of an arrow was jutting from her ribs.  
     The foliage beside the dead doe rustled and bent and gave way to reveal a person -- a living person by the looks of it. And one Laura-Mae didn’t recognize. He paced up to the carcass and she adjusted her position, sure to hide the rest of her head as best she could. The hunter bent down on one knee to retrieve his arrow and inspect his kill. His scraggly and short brown hair that was stuck to his forehead with perspiration. The plaid shirt he wore, its sleeves ripped off and frayed at the seams, was stuck to his lean but bulky frame.  
     Laura-Mae stayed quiet and crouched down, making neat and calculated steps to a nearby boulder jutting from the earth. She stopped short at the light tickle of a pinecone against her sole, and she drew in the smallest, most silent breath she could manage.

     ‘ _ Close one... Let’s try  _ **_not_ ** _ to get noticed, here... _ ’

     Keeping her eyes locked on the hunter, Laura-Mae maneuvered around the pinecone and any other sharp things begging to blow her cover. Pointy rocks, scratchy twigs, gnarled roots, no matter what it was the bare sole of her foot could feel it before she stepped. Her fingertips grazed the smooth stone surface of the boulder, and she snatched them back with a light hiss at the heat of it. Baking warmth was pulsing off it in waves, but she kept her hazels locked the scene.  
     The hunter stood and looked off behind him, jerking his head at the deer’s body. There was another bit of rustling and then a second man joined him, a smile plain on his sunken, red face.  
     “Good job, baby brother! ‘Bout time you tracked that thing down.” He slapped roughly at the hunter’s back. “Yeah, that group oughta like this plenty. They ain’t gonna have no _choice_ but to let us join ‘em!”  
     Laura-Mae’s eyebrows wrinkled in the middle and tucked down. Her mind traveled back to the neat group of fires and tents out in the clearing.  
     “Too bad you couldn’t get one o’ the big ones, huh?”  
     The hunter stayed quiet, yanking up the front hooves of the doe.  
     “Better ‘n’ nothin’! Definitely better ‘n’ nothin’.” The older brother paced around to the back end of the animal, grimacing at the sight. “ _And_ you gonna make me carry the smelly end!”  
     A brilliant pain shot up Laura-Mae’s leg in a fiery instant. She yanked her eyes down and her heart sank at the sight of about fifty bright red ants biting down into her flesh.  
     “Goddamnit!” She spat the word out, brushing haphazardly at the insects and stumbling back away from the ant bed she had only just now been made painfully aware of.  
     The hunter and the older brother had gone quiet, and Laura-Mae’s heart started to pound so hard she could feel her eardrums thumping in tune with it.  
     “Come on out!” the older brother called.  
     Clenching her teeth, Laura-Mae stayed still.

     ‘ _ Maybe they’ll just...think they’re hearing things. _ ’

     “You! Behind the rock! Yeah, I see ya!”  
     Laura-Mae looked down at her leg, barely sticking out from the side of her cover.  
     “ _Goddamnit_ ,” she whispered. Taking in a few quick breaths she stood herself slowly up, her hands gripping loosely at Pixie’s strap.  
     The older brother watched her cautiously, and once she had fully revealed herself a half-lidded smile befell his long face.  
     “Well hey there, darlin’. Where’d you come from?”  
     The hunter unceremoniously dropped the front half of the deer down and crossed his arms over his chest before he scowled off into the forest.  
     Laura-Mae tried to gulp down the sick feeling in her stomach.  
     “Look, I... I’m just out here doin’ my job... That group you mentioned -- I... I’m one of the lookouts.” Jitters shot all up and down her body, but she stayed planted firmly where she was, besides brushing her foot off a few more times for good measure. “You said... You said you wanted to join us, right?” The image of countless people circling seemingly endlessly around the clearing drifted into her mind. She couldn’t help but let out a light chuckle.  
     “Trust me... They’re more than willing to take in new people. But...I gotta make sure...you’re not gonna be...any trouble, you know?”  
     “ _Trouble_?” The older brother kept smiling, taking some slow steps closer. Laura-Mae stayed where she was, watching his movements closely, her fingers gripping tightly to the strap she was holding onto.  
     He continued on, unmoving. “Me and my brother here don’t want no _trouble_. We were gonna bring this to y’all as a _peace offering_ , see?”  
     “Yeah, well... They’ll... They’ll appreciate it, I’m sure... Just, uh... I’ll... I’ll go there with you.”

     ‘ _ Because I’m  _ **_not_ ** _ letting you go there by yourselves... I mean it’s not like I have to worry about leading them to us... This guy already knows where we are for Christ’s sake... Least I can do is make sure that deer is the  _ **_only_ ** _ thing they bring in. _ ’

     “Alright, sure! You can come with us! You can come with us back to our truck too, huh?”  
     “Merle,” the hunter finally spoke, shifting an agitated look at his brother.  
     Merle glared over at him, then set his gaze back on Laura-Mae.  
     “That’s okay,” she offered up the politest smile she could muster while she crossed her arms uncomfortably over her chest. “I’ll meet you right around here -- on the road. Then I’ll ride with you the rest of the way. Okay?”  
     “ _Okay_ ,” Merle said smoothly. He stepped around and grabbed the deer by its front hooves. The hunter grunted something under his breath and snatched up the back half. “See you in a few, babydoll.”  
     Laura-Mae stayed still, watching them slump off deeper into the forest. Once they were out of her sight she drew in a deep breath, and she rubbed at her face and looked down at her foot. Tiny swollen mounds of ant bites were already starting to show.

     ‘ _ Great. That’s gonna feel  _ **_just_ ** _ great. _ ’

     With a deepset frown Laura-Mae trailed her way along the dirt road, watching her step with careful precision. She avoided every little pebble along the way, smooth or no. Once she’d reached her RV she stepped up into it, greeting and comforting Ringo when she approached. Ringo followed her up to the front and joined her in the cab, the pair of them looking out the windshield.  
     They kept their eyes locked on the horizon that Laura-Mae had grown all too familiar with. She could've painted an accurate picture of the place, every little stone and tree trunk, she could remember it all. At Ringo’s ears perking up, so did she. The first thing she saw was the carcass of her friend, the little doe, her body strapped to the hood of an old blue and gray pickup truck.  
     “Stay here, Ringo...” With a parting pat Laura-Mae made her way out of the Travelcraft, stepping down onto the grass and shutting the door behind her. Cruising up to her, the truck came to a slow and creaking halt. Merle leaned over his younger brother as though he weren’t even there.  
     “Headin’ my way?” He smiled, his dark smokey blue eyes catching her attention now that she was close enough to make out the details of his face. Shining sweat made even trails down his reddened, wrinkled forehead and cheeks. What little hair he had on top of his head was stuck to it, wet with perspiration.  
     Laura-Mae pushed a friendly smile at him, daring to show off her crooked teeth.  
     “Daryl, get in the back,” Merle commanded. “C’mon, what you waitin’ for?”  
     Daryl scoffed and made a move to open the door.  
     “No, that’s okay!” Laura-Mae piped up before he could. “I’ll hop in the back. You just...go ahead. You know the way.” She went around to the back bumper and stepped up on it and made herself as comfortable as she could on the closed tailgate. Her legs stretched out alongside the motorcycle that was stowed away in the truck bed, a simple wireframe-looking type with its handlebars way up high and a black paint job. There was an “SS” emblem displayed neatly on the sleek fuel tank.  
     “So you out here by yourself, huh?” Merle’s question was one that easily made her uneasy, perhaps more than the SS emblem. “Nice rig,” he told her.  
     “Yeah... Thanks. Got my dog with me too.”  
     “Dog?” Merle’s tone changed dramatically, as though he'd just gotten a math test back to find all his cleverly calculated answers marked as incorrect. Laura-Mae shifted a side eye through the back windshield into the rearview mirror, and she could see a thin-lipped frown set under his furrowed brow.

     ‘ _ That’s right, bud. Don’t go gettin’ any ideas... _ ’

     Laura-Mae swayed with the movement of the truck as Merle pulled forward, creeping on past the Travelcraft and then picking up speed the rest of the way.  
     Less than fifty yards away from the clearing, Laura-Mae did her best to raise her voice.  
     “Hey, stop here!”  
     Merle kept going, and Laura-Mae groaned. She opened her mouth to repeat herself, louder this time, but stopped short when Daryl slapped at Merle’s shoulder, gaining his aggravated attention. He pointed with his thumb back in Laura-Mae’s direction. Merle’s eyes flicked up to the rearview mirror.  
     “Can you stop here? Please...?”  
     The truck came to a slow, creaking stop.  
     “How come?” Merle was already griping while Laura-Mae swung around and dropped out of the truck bed and walked over to his open window.  
     “Look... Like I said, I’m just trying to do my job. I only got here last night, man. Just stay here, and I promise I’ll get someone to let you in. I just... I just gotta check first.”  
     “Aw, c’mon,” Merle’s tone was gruff, but elusively tender. “You trust ol’ Merle, don’t ya?”  
     Laura-Mae only gave him a polite, albeit weak smile. “I just met you, dude. Like I said... I’m just doin’ my job. Please, stay here. I’ll be right back.”  
     “...Alright... Since you asked so nice. Say, uh...” Merle rested his elbow on the door, straightening up a little. “It’s funny seein’ a little thing like you carryin’ around a big ol’ piece like that.” His dark blue eyes darted over to Pixie. “You know how to use that thing?”  
     She flashed him a sweet smile. “Sure do!”  
     Merle stayed quiet, smirking, nodding. Pushing out a nervous laugh Laura-Mae dismissed herself, and took up a quick pace towards the heart of camp.  
     Passing the last line of trees, she stepped cautiously into the clearing. Nausea nipped at her belly at the sight of the same twenty-odd faces, still busy at work. Finally she saw who she sought. Dale was standing near the edge of camp, talking with Amy and Andrea as they pinned clothes to a line stretched out between two trees.  
     Laura-Mae approached them slowly, clearing her throat when she was within earshot.  
     Amy and Andrea offered her pleasant smiles. Dale did too, until he started looking around Laura-Mae’s feet.  
     “Where’s Ringo?”  
     “Oh she’s fine, she’s just...back at the RV. I, uh...”  
     Dale shot her an inquisitive look, and Amy and Andrea’s own faces grew curious and cautious. Once Andrea had finished pinning a shirt to the line she turned to face her and planted her hands on her hips.  
     Laura-Mae cleared her throat again. “There were a couple of guys, uh...out in the forest. They said they...might wanna join us.”  
     “And so you brought them here?” Dale’s question was quick, accusatory almost.  
     “Well they already...knew where camp was. I uh... _escorted_ them, I guess. They seem...” Laura-Mae pushed out a nervous sigh in a vain attempt to calm her jitters. “You’d probably be a better judge than me. All I know is they never pointed any weapons at me.”  
     “How many are there?” Dale started looking over her shoulder and up the road.  
     “Just two. They took down a deer out in the forest, said they wanted to give it to the group. Merle’s the older guy -- uh, they’re brothers...I think.”  
     “Alright...” Dale patted her shoulder. “Good job. You did the right thing. I’ll go talk to ‘em.”  
     She held back a sigh of relief, all her stress melting away. “Thanks, Dale.”  
     With a nod and another parting pat on her shoulder, he stepped quickly past her and across the clearing. Laura-Mae made a move to follow him, but Amy stopped her.  
     “Hey, Laura-Mae, right?”  
     Laura-Mae smiled at her and turned, nodding.  
     “Dale told us you’re waiting on your husband! Me and Andrea said we’d look out for him. What’s his name, anyway?”  
     “Uh... Marty. Thanks for keeping an eye out! I uh... I appreciate it.”  
     “No problem! Maybe he’ll want to stay once he gets here. Do you think so?”  
     “...Maybe! It’s...pretty nice here, you know?”  
     “Oh yeah, a _lot_ better than Atlanta, that’s for sure.”  
     “How are things looking out there?” Andrea butted in briskly.  
     “Well...besides these new guys it’s been...quiet. To say the least.”  
     “Any more of those sick people?”  
     “No, uh... Not that I’ve seen. I’ll... I’m staying focused.”  
     Andrea nodded. “Good. Dale seems to have found a promising enough spot.” Her serious expression gave way to a soft, almost apprehensive smile. It faded while she pinned a pair of boxers up onto the line. “Hopefully there’ll be more jobs soon, too.”  
     Amy chuckled through a smirk. “ _Hopefully_. Hey, maybe we can go fishing tomorrow! You think Dale would let us borrow his canoe?”  
     “Probably,” Laura-Mae smiled. “He’s a...friendly guy!”  
     “You should come with us! I think the three of us could fit in there no problem.”  
     “Oh, that’s... That’s okay, I uh... I wanna keep watch out there. If... If Marty’s coming in from that way I wanna be the first to see him, y’know?”  
     Amy nodded, “Alright, well... You know where to find us if you need anything, right?”  
     “Right! Ditto. I’m just about half a mile down the road. Maybe if things are looking good for a while I can help you guys with laundry tomorrow.”  
     Andrea scoffed. “God knows we need it.”  
     “Okay, uh... Catch you later!” Laura-Mae gave them both a wave as she briskly excused herself. By the time their conversation ended, so apparently had Dale’s with Merle. The brothers were parking on the edge of the road just outside the clearing, and Dale was ushering Shane over to meet them. As she passed Dale gave her a wave, and she returned it and kept right along on the way to her RV.

     ‘ _ I think that’s enough conversation for the next week or so... _ ’

     Laura-Mae drew in a deep breath, dismissing the anxiety crawling all over her, marching like hungry, determined little soldier ants. She stopped for a moment to scratch at her ankle.

     ‘ _ Oh, Marty, when are you gonna get here? _ ’

★★★

     From the roof of her RV Laura-Mae had watched the sun as it sank deeper and deeper into the woods, dipping under the treeline and disappearing. Visions of the lake at her last camp mixed with the sight of black smoke choking out the stars. She could still hear her gun firing, and the miserable growls of the sick infesting her peaceful sanctum while crackling fire surrounded them all.  
      Fortunately, no more of those sick people came. Unfortunately, neither did Marty. His headlights hadn’t beamed up into her line of sight locked steadfast on the horizon, nor had Dale or Amy or even Andrea come running up and shouting the good news to her. No, all had been quiet. And despite being thankful for it a majority of the day, Laura-Mae was starting to detest it. Because with the silence came the dark thoughts, the ones that in the current moment she could push away no longer.

     ‘ _ How many times do I have to tell you? Marty’s. Not. Coming. He’s dead. Your dad’s dead, too. But you’re okay with that, huh? You’re  _ **_happy_ ** _. Bet you wish you could’ve done it yourself, right? Blast his head open like you did with all those sick people? Disgusting. You’re  _ **_disgusting_ ** _. You shouldn’t even be alive. And you won’t be soon. Good.  _ **_Good_ ** _. _ ’

     Laura-Mae’s eyes had since glazed over, barely even noticing night falling onto the forest around her. Her breath came shallowly, sparsely, barely bringing oxygen into her weak little asthmatic lungs. She could feel her third bout of spasms begging to come on, the muscles in her back starting to twitch.

     ‘ _ You should just-- _ ’

     From behind her Laura-Mae heard the snap of a branch. At first she blinked, her head dipping just a bit. Then Ringo started to growl, and finally she sat up straight, her eyelids wildly fluttering. Taking in a deep breath, she looked curiously over her shoulder. At first she didn’t see anything, a little alarmed by the seemingly sudden darkness all around them.  
     “It’s only me,” came Dale’s friendly voice from a short way down the road. Laura-Mae climbed down the ladder to meet him and hushed Ringo when she let out a muted but excited yip. Dale scratched behind her ear, and her tail spun around in large, feathery circles.  
     “How’s everything out here?”  
     Laura-Mae wiped the cooling perspiration from her forehead. “Quiet,” she told him bluntly.  
     “Good. Hey, we’re gonna cook up that deer the Dixon boys brought for us, swap war stories by the campfire. Just thought I’d let ya know. Should be in about another hour or so.”  
     “Okay, uh...thanks.” In truth, Laura-Mae was still out of it, that voice continuing to nag at her.

     ‘ _ You’ll only make an idiot out of yourself. _ ’

     “I’ll, uh...”  
     “It’s alright if you can’t make it,” Dale was smiling over at her. “I know how passionate you are about keeping us all safe.”  
     “Y...Yeah.”

     ‘ _ Yeah  _ **_right_ ** _! Who does this guy think he’s kidding? The only thing  _ **_you’re_ ** _ passionate about is kidding  _ **_yourself_ ** _ into thinking Marty’ll be here any second. _ ’

     “Maybe if...things look quiet enough out here, then...” Laura-Mae let the sentiment fall to silence into the cooling air.  
     “I’ll save you a plate,” Dale winked and gave Ringo a final pat before he parted. Laura-Mae watched after him for a moment, then buried her face into her hands, rubbing softly at her tired and clammy face. Ringo whined up at her and licked at her leg. Offering her a weak smile, Laura-Mae patted at her head.  
     “You did good today, girl... You go on and get to sleep... I’ll feed you in a little bit, okay?”  
     She whined some more, her tail wagging a little.  
     “Okay, good girl,” Laura-Mae chuckled. She unclipped and untied her leash, tossing it onto the sofa while Ringo stepped in. Laura-Mae took pause at the open door, looking behind her into the dark forest. The only thing greeting her was the sound of crickets, and the bite of a mosquito fresh on her forearm. She waved the insect away with a grimace, then darted up into the Travelcraft.  
     “At least it’s not a hundred degrees in here anymore, huh?”  
     Ringo noisily lapped at her water bowl and her tongue slapped against its metal bottom. It started to noisily slide and scoot and then bang lightly against the wooden frame of Ringo’s bed.  
     “Out already?” Laura-Mae’s eyes fell onto her four crates of bottled waters in the back. The image of crystal clear waters rippling down in the quarry’s basin came to her mind for a moment, but it was quickly followed by saturated visions of countless eyes staring unblinking in her direction. She sighed and stepped over to the crates, popping one of the bottles out and cracking it open. The water glugged out of the bottle while she nearly emptied it into Ringo’s bowl, and Ringo was quick to start lapping it noisily up. Laura-Mae gulped down the last few remnants.  
     Pacing back towards the cab, Laura-Mae set Pixie down in her usual spot behind the driver’s seat and then slumped down in the captain’s chair. Her heavy-lidded, glazed-over stare met the horizon again, for what felt like the thousandth time that day.

     ‘ _ You know he’s not coming. _ ’

     “Would you just  _ stop _ ?” Laura-Mae spat under her breath. She caught Ringo’s curious glance. “No, uh... Not you. It’s okay, Ringo...” She drew in a deep, steadying breath. She reeled it in.

     ‘ _ Maybe a walk would do me some good... _ ’

     Ringo had already jumped into her bed and settled in for the night, and so Laura-Mae let her stay there undisturbed. She rubbed her warm palms against her exhausted face to try and gather herself before she opened the driver’s side door and plopped down into the soft grass on the shoulder of the dirt road. Bumping it with her hip, Laura-Mae shut the door behind herself, and she took up a slow pace along the grassy shoulder. Mosquitoes buzzed close to her ears, and she swatted them away with a grimace.  
     Soft moonlight set the forest aglow, and the sight of the gentle hue illuminating leaves and stones drew her into the foliage. Her steps were slow and neat and purposeful, each one bringing her further into the dark woods and further out of her dark thoughts. Even in the swaying shadows of night, Laura-Mae could feel a serene kind of clarity. Her fingertips brushed against cool and scratchy pine bark. The crickets created a chorus in the grass and bushes all around her.  
     Not wanting to get too far away from the Travelcraft, Laura-Mae found a clear patch of earth nestled under the thick roots of a tall, tall oak tree. She sat with her back up against its trunk, and she tilted her head to look up at the stars twinkling between its branches. Her palms spread flat against the dirt, and it was cold and smooth to the touch. Being out in the forest... Looking up at the stars... As always, it made Laura-Mae feel as though...everything was going to be okay.  
     Her bare feet carrying her back, a chill ran over her. She rubbed at her arms, hugging herself loosely.

     ‘ _ Hot as balls during the day...cold as fuck during the night... What is this, the Sahara desert? _ ’

     Laura-Mae scoffed to herself, but was cut short at the brief sound of raucous laughter coming from the clearing. Daring to step a little past her RV, she heard the faint crackling of a fire. Another chill consumed her, and her teeth started to chatter, clattering together while her muscles tightened. Sighing, Laura-Mae doubled back and stepped up into her RV.

     ‘ _ There’s no point... No point... I’ll just look like a moron... _ ’

     Slumping down into the driver’s seat, Laura-Mae miserably folded her arms atop the steering wheel. She rested her chin there, staring half-lidded out at the road she’d grown far too familiar with. Still no sign of Marty.

__ ‘ _ I told you...’ _

     Laura-Mae drew in a deep breath, turning her head to rest it on her arms and squeeze her eyelids tightly shut. A knot tried to tie together in her throat, and she sniffled.  
     “Then he’ll... He’ll be here tomorrow...”

__ ‘ _ No, he  _ **_wo_ ** _ \--’ _

     “Would you  _ just _ ...” With a frustrated grunt Laura-Mae sat up straight, her arms stiff as boards between herself and the wheel.  
      There was a shuffling and clattering from the back of the Travelcraft. Ringo came slinking up past the sofa, her scruffy hair flat on one side of her face. Catching the sight in the rearview mirror, a snickering scoff escaped Laura-Mae. Ringo poked her head between the seats and licked in her direction while her tail made sloppy circles behind her. She climbed up into the passenger’s seat and leaned over, her neck stretching out far as she licked at Laura-Mae’s cheeks. She sneezed and sprayed a fine mist on Laura-Mae’s face.  
      “ _ Thanks _ , Ringo,” she smiled, wiping her cheeks dry on her sleeve. “I really needed some dog snot right about now, y’know?” Ringo whined in turn and licked at the air around her face again. Laura-Mae scratched at her head before planting a kiss there.  
      “Didn’t mean to wake ya up, ol’ girl. I know how you need your beauty sleep!”  
      Ringo sneezed again, this time away from Laura-Mae’s face.  
      “You ready to go back to bed, huh?”  
      She wagged her tail.  
      “Yeah, yeah... It’s about that time.”  
      Their stomachs growled in near unison.  
      “Oh... Right... Food.” Laura-Mae tugged her eyes over to her side mirror. On the horizon of the dirt road there was a gentle orange glow. Breaking up the silence in the cab was the occasional bout of raucous laughter, quickly quieted as soon as it would begin. And then there was Ringo’s stomach. Then hers. She sighed.  
      “I had really wanted to save your food, girl, but...”  
      Ringo perked her ears up, staring steadfast Laura-Mae’s way.  
      “You...probably shouldn’t be eating too much human food, anyway! Even though...it’s just deer meat...which would probably be...better for you anyways...”  
      There was more laughter. Ringo’s stomach growled.  
      With her lips screwed tightly into a frown, Laura-Mae hauled herself out of her seat and shuffled to the back of the Travelcraft. She scooped a healthy portion of dry food into Ringo’s bowl. Of course she heard the click-clacking of her claws on the floor mere moments later. Her mustached mouth was crunching away at the kibbles in no time, leaving Laura-Mae to watch her while her own stomach growled away.  
      “Fuck it,” she grumbled and snatched open one of the top cupboards. “Marty... He’s gonna be here tomorrow anyway.” A queasy feeling gnawed at her gut, becoming fast friends with her hunger.

__ ‘ _ Sure.’ _

     Laura-Mae frowned, her eyebrows furrowing down while she tore open the plastic bag she'd retrieved. The smell of salted, dried meat hit her square in the face, and her stomach growled loudly in response. Ringo stopped eating for a moment, looking over with her nose twitching.  
     “...Ah... Okay, girl. Just don’t tell Marty, okay?” A smile pursed her lips lightly, and she extended a large piece of jerky out to her furry friend. Ringo padded over, quickly, and licked her chops the whole way over. Gently she pulled the strip of meat from Laura-Mae’s fingertips, and she gave it one or two chews before unceremoniously swallowing it down.  
     Returning with fatigue to her captain’s chair, Laura-Mae allowed herself a few more pieces of jerky in peace and quiet. Her mind had quieted into a pleasant buzz, her eyes following its lead. The open jerky bag sat in her lap while her eyes locked back onto the road.

     ‘ _ Headlights... Headlights... Please...’ _

     But there was nothing. Only darkness -- seemingly unending darkness. Deep black pines shifted and swayed in the wind cutting through them. A chill ran down Laura-Mae’s spine, and her eyes blinked away the bleary blur beginning to burden her.  
     Her teeth started to clatter, drawing her focus back into her quivering body. Ringo jumped onto her bed in the back and curled into a tight ball. Feeling defeated, Laura-Mae made her way up into her own bed. With a smooth motion she tossed the half empty bag of jerky onto the dinette table. With her now free hands she hauled herself up, and crawled into her unmade nest of a blanket.  
     The comforter brought her so little comfort. Laura-Mae was left shivering atop her mattress, staring up at her makeshift galaxy. Her teeth started to clatter again, and she groaned.  
     “Georgia... I love you so much, but... _damn_ do I hate your _temperamental-ass_ weather!” She rolled over, hugging her blanket closely to herself. “I mean, is it _hot_ or is it _cold_? Is it _bright and sunny_ or is it _raining cats 'n' fuckin' dogs_?”  
     Ringo huffed out a sigh so loud that Laura-Mae could hear it all the way from the back of the Travelcraft.  
     “Gee, so- _rry_ miss _ma’am_!” Laura-Mae didn’t hesitate to call out to her. “I know you’re _loving_ this _freezing cold_ , but I’m over here strugglin’!”  
     Ringo stayed quiet.  
     Laura-Mae leaned over the side of her “bedroom.” “Come on! Can’t a girl get a little _sympathy_ around here?”  
     Ringo tucked her nose further under her tail and huffed out another, heavier sigh.  
     “ _Tch_. _Whatever_. I’ll just...be up here then... _freezing_ my ass off...in the middle of summer... Because _that_ makes sense.”  
     Roughly three silent, shivery minutes passed before Laura-Mae was tossing and turning relentlessly. Another loud bout of laughter, perhaps the loudest of them all, only made her hug her blanket more tightly around herself.

     ‘ _ This is ridiculous...’ _

     She grunted.  
     “This is _ridiculous_!” Laura-Mae threw her blanket away from herself, casting away the facade of warmth that was just beginning to take hold. In only a few swift movements Laura-Mae was down and out the side door.  
     Her bare feet carried her briskly along the soft shoulder of the road. Her fists were clenched into tight little balls at her side.

     ‘ _ You already know what’s going to happen! Why are you even bothering? What are you going to say? ‘So, how about that apocalypse?’ Moron... They’re just gonna judge you, read you like an open book. They’ll see fast...just how  _ **_useless_ ** _ you really are!’ _

     Laura-Mae screwed her eyelids shut tight and let out a grunt through clenched teeth. Her fists started to shake, but she marched right along.

     ' _You_ __k_ now what you  _ **_should_ ** _ be doing? Just end it! What the  _ **_fuck_ ** _ are you waiting for? Just do i--’ _

     Foreign footsteps crunched up the rocks on the dirt road and made Laura-Mae stop short. Taking in a hissing breath through thin lips she maneuvered behind a nearby tree without a second thought. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, but she did her best to remain silent.  
     “Buncha _assholes_ ,” a particularly gruff, frustrated voice muttered. As he grew closer, Laura-Mae could hear him more clearly. “I _know_ what I saw!”  
     Laura-Mae waited for him to pass, her now sweating palms placed firmly against pine bark. His head was hung low as he broke off into the forest opposite Laura-Mae’s side of the road. Even with his hands shoved deep into his pants pockets, he moved easily through the dense foliage. Laura-Mae kept watching him for a moment as he disappeared into the woods under a thick swath of night shadow.  
     More laughter echoed from the heart of camp, not too far off now. And as one might imagine, now that she was closer the intimidating sound was only that much louder. It taunted her, teased her, and tugged at her, begging her to come and torture herself.

     ‘ _ Why even bother?’ _

     She grit her teeth and her fingernails pressed lightly into the bark. A shiver coursed through her on a brittle breeze, and her bones began to tingle. With a sharp exhale and a cloud of condensation bursting up into the air, Laura-Mae heard a soft crackling.  
     Jerking her eyes back across the road, she could clearly see a small fire with only one figure sitting beside it.

     ‘ _...Daryl.’ _

     Her eyes drifted on down the road now, just barely catching the glow of the main campfire, seemingly endless silhouettes sitting around, stretched shadows shaking against the dancing flames. Another little cloud of fog billowed up into the air, and Laura-Mae drew her numbing hands around herself. She stood still, shivering and shaking while her sights shifted between both fires and her RV. Again her chest rose and fell, little puffs of condensation filling up her vision.

     ‘ _ Baby steps... I’m...I’m  _ **_not_ ** _ gonna give up...’ _

     Laura-Mae looked back into the heart of camp.

     ‘ _ But...I can’t handle that yet... Baby steps...’ _

     She repeated the words clearly and neatly in her mind as she stepped across the road. Although the unpleasant numb tingling in her feet distracted her, it did a surprisingly good job of dulling the pain she would have felt on the dirt road’s pebbles. Still, she didn’t hesitate to tip-toe into the grass on the other side of the road.  
     Laura-Mae silently followed the shifting hues of reds and oranges beckoning her from deep within the pines. The closer she came, the warmer she could feel. Her heart began to pound, anxiety still ebbing away at the edges of her mind.

     ‘ _ What if this guy’s like...a total asshole? No... No... At least he’s not  _ **_Merle_ ** _...’ _

     Her eyes rolled at the thought of him. Studying Daryl closely, her doubts began to grow by the millisecond.

     ‘ _ I mean I was wrong about Dale being a hermit, right? So...what if this guy’s  _ **_worse_ ** _ than Merle? What if he’s just like...a secret, silent serial killer or something?’ _

     Laura-Mae started to shiver again when she took pause, standing quietly mere meters away from him.  
     He was sitting on a log near the fire, slouched over, his head still hanging low.

     ‘ _ He doesn’t  _ **_seem_ ** _ like a serial killer...’ _

     In a swift movement Daryl sat up and hurled a small rock into the fire. A storm of embers whirled up into the air, fading on the cool night wind. Within moments he shifted into his previous posture, somehow slouched even more than before.

     ‘ _ Oh my god this guy is going to  _ **_murder me_ ** _ , isn’t he? I pick the  _ **_one_ ** _ serial killer left on the planet to try and be  _ **_campfire buddies_ ** _ with!’ _

     Laura-Mae started to step back, her eyes locked on him. She heard the pinecone under her foot before she felt it, crunching loudly and then stabbing into the tender flesh of her sole. In a heartbeat Daryl was at his feet with his crossbow neatly aimed at her head.  
     Laura-Mae lifted her trembling and numb fingers up into the air, and a gust of fog escaped her quivering lips.


	5. Teardrop

**EPISODE V**

**Teardrop**

★★★

     “ _Whoa_ !” The word left Laura-Mae’s lips in a quiet and shaky instant. “Whoa... I... Uh... S-Sorry, man, I--”  
      “What’re you, _crazy_ sneakin’ around here like that?” Daryl tossed his crossbow down onto the dirt and slumped back down where he had been sitting prior nearly ending some hapless schmuck's life. He dragged his dirty hands up and down his agitated face, and Laura-Mae stood rigid and frigid, unsure of what to do.  
      “I, uh... I didn’t mean to scare y--”  
      “You didn’t _scare_ me,” he spat. “You’re lucky I didn’t shoot an arrow through your damn head!”  
      “No, you’re... You’re totally right, dude, I... I’m sorry...”  
      Daryl said nothing. His shoulders were squared off in spite of resuming his earlier slouching stance.  
      Laura-Mae dared to continue as another shiver coursed through her. “Look, I uh... I don’t mean to... _bother_ you or anything, but--”  
      “What, you come here to laugh at me some more?”  
      “...I’m...sorry?”  
      Daryl looked up and over at her and studied her for a fleeting moment. Rich hues of orange and red danced around and illuminated his stern, goateed face.  
      “Nothing,” he grimaced and threw his gaze back to the fire.  
      “Oh, uh...” Laura-Mae restrained a sigh of relief. “Can I sit here? For a little bit? It’s uh... It’s a cold one tonight, y’know...?”  
      He didn’t say anything, and she stayed standing where she was. She tried to suppress her teeth clattering together, but a few clacks escaped her.  
      “I don’t care where you sit,” Daryl finally mumbled.  
      “Uh... Okay... Thanks...” Laura-Mae hesitated for a lingering moment before she tiptoed eagerly over and plopped down on the ground near the fire. Its warmth wrapped around her in a gentle embrace. Closing her eyes for a heartbeat or three, she drew in a long breath and took in the smoky scent of the burning kindling.  
     Laura-Mae took comfort in the newfound silence, blemished only by the gentle crackling of the fire. It was perfect.

 _‘And I managed to_ **_not_ ** _get killed! What a great apocalypse survivor I am...’_

     She scoffed at the thought. _Her_ . An apocalypse survivor. Her curled index finger rubbed at the tip of her nose while she stifled a small giggle.  
      “What’s so funny?” Daryl's voice left him in a growl.  
      “Huh?” Laura-Mae was still smiling when she looked his way from across the fire. The flames flickering up caught in his ice blue eyes, set under a downturned brow. She stopped smiling.  
      “What’re _you_ laughin’ at?” he snarled.  
      “...Nothing, I just... I thought of something funny... Sorry.”  
      Daryl gave her a dismissive grunt, throwing his glare back to the fire once more.  
      Laura-Mae hesitated, but sheepishly spoke aloud the question that began to poke and prod at the back of her mind.  
      “Hey, uh... Did...anyone new come to camp?”  
      Daryl only shook his head and kept his eyes locked on the fire.  
      “Oh...” Her gaze burned straight into it as well, beginning to dull over.  
      “You lookin’ for somebody?”  
      “Huh? Uh... My fiance, Marty. He’s...supposed to be coming to get me...”  
      “...Hm.”  
      Silence filled the air around them and Laura-Mae began to retreat into herself. Gently she brought a knee up to her chest before she scratched absentmindedly at her ant bites.  
      “That wouldn’t o’ happened if you were wearin’ some damn _shoes_ .”  
      Laura-Mae snapped her attention up at him. By the time she had, he was already looking off into the foliage.  
      “Y’know...I _never_ would have thought of that!” Laura-Mae cracked a smile at him, daring to show off her crooked teeth.  
      His eyes flicked over to her and then rolled.  
      “No, really! You mean _shoes_ protect your _feet_ ?” A grin spread across her freckled face from ear to ear. “That's news to me!”  
      “Then why ain’t you wearin’ any, _smartass_ ?” He snapped the question over at her, making her smile falter.  
      Laura-Mae stretched her legs out, wiggling her toes near the flickering flames.  
      “I know the risks! I just... I like it!”  
      “You _like_ gettin’ bit by ants?”  
      Laura-Mae frowned, shooting her eyes off to the side while she scratched at her leg again.  
      “ _No_ ,” she pouted. “But... I just don’t like wearing shoes, okay?” She laced her comeback with a light laugh, but deep down she was starting to feel a little defensive. "When I was in Texas I couldn't go walkin' around _barefoot_ all the time! Now that I'm back here... I've just been enjoying it!"  
      “That’s about the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” he told her with a straight face.  
      "Have you ever _been_ to Texas, dude?"  
      "That ain't the _dumb_ part, _dude_ ."  
      Laura-Mae stayed quiet, her eyelids squeezing together just so.  
      She pushed out a laugh. “Okay... So?”  
     Daryl only hissed through his teeth, shaking his head a little. Things grew quiet between them again. Now Laura-Mae wore a pleasant smile on her face, rubbing her hands together against the fire.

 _‘This guy isn’t so scary. Kind of an asshole, though.’_  

     Merle’s agitated face from earlier that day came to the forefront of her mind.

_‘But with a brother like that...’_

     “...Thanks, by the way.”  
     Laura-Mae looked up at Daryl once again, a little confused.  
     “For bringin’ me and Merle here...”  
     “Oh! Uh... Well really it wasn’t my call! I just...tried to do the right thing is all.”  
     “You coulda turned us away, shot at us... Hell, I _still_ don’t know how Merle ain’t got shot yet...”  
     Laura-Mae chuckled. “He’s definitely got a certain... _charm_ to him.”  
     “Mhmm...”  
     “I dunno... I...” Laura-Mae broke her eyes away from him for a moment, feeling suddenly embarrassed. “I uh...heard you guys talking about bringing us that deer, and... Merle seemed like he was being real with me, and...” She punctuated the sentiment with a casual shrug. “You guys seem like you have good enough intentions to me.”  
     Daryl didn’t say anything. His eyes shifted away from her and he loosely grabbed at his wrist.  
     Laura-Mae stayed quiet too, staring straight at him through a concentrated gaze.  
     “I mean you wanna talk about _dumb_...” she said. “Two guys taking on _twenty-something_ people...”  
     Daryl’s gaze shot over, although she couldn’t quite read his near-blank expression.  
     Laura-Mae smiled. “Now _that’s_ dumb. But...you guys aren’t gonna do that... _are you_?”  
     Daryl hesitated, but finally shook his head.  
     “Cool. Don’t make me look bad for ‘bringing you here’.” She put air quotes around the last few words and smiled to let him know she was joking. Mostly. “I mean I’ve got to keep up my reputation around camp! At least until Marty gets here, anyway.”  
     “...Why ain’t he here with you?”  
     “Oh, uh...” Visions of the hospital in Atlanta flashed into the forefront of her mind. Her spirits dwindled considerably. “I was...visiting family. I-in Atlanta.”  
     “They make it out?”  
     “I...” A smoky haze of black started to cloud her vision. “I don’t know...”  
     “...So where is he?”  
     “Marty? He’s...” Laura-Mae had to take a moment to reel herself back into the moment, as though her sanity were a coy catfish in the depths of a murky, muddy lake. “He’s coming from...Texas... He should have been here by now, but--”  
     “If he’s comin’ from that far out he ain’t gettin’ here in a day.”  
     “...What, you... You think it’s this bad...everywhere? Like Atlanta?”  
     “Worse. Took me ‘n’ Merle a few days to get here just from up north a ways.”  
     “...Oh.” Laura-Mae’s eyes glazed over.  
     “Still don’t make no sense why he ain’t with you. Ain’t your... _fiance_ supposed to...be with ya all the time or somethin’?”  
     A little caught off guard at his persistence, Laura-Mae chuckled briefly.  
     “It’s... It’s complicated, man.”  
     He continued to study her through a sidewards glance.  
     Breaking her eyes away from his she laughed again, weakly.  
     “My uh... My dad, he...” Her chin began to tremble, and another weak laugh pulsed from her. “He’s a good person, you know? At his core...” Peaceful memories of exploring abandoned train tracks and going to see movies with him were cut into jagged pieces on the sharp edges of dark, harsh flashes of disturbing unpleasantries.  
     Shaking her head and clearing her throat, she pushed on. “And...just like anyone, he... He’s made mistakes. I mean... Fucked up _real_ bad, y’know?”  
     Daryl’s eyelids squinted, faintly fluttering with the flames that continued to flicker between them.  
     “It took me a while to really... _get it_... That his... _mistake_ was...way worse than what I was making it out to be. That I couldn’t... That it wasn’t _healthy_ for me to...keep talking to him...like everything was normal...like nothing ever happened. So I stopped... And it was easy, y’know? ...All the way from Texas.”  
     Her eyelids squeezed shut, pushing a hot tear from the brink of her teeming eyelids. “Because of...his _mistake_... Marty doesn’t want anything to do with him. And I can’t blame him...” She shook her head. “Once I really... _came to terms_ with it, I... I didn’t want anything to do with him either.”  
     She took in a deep breath, the smell of the smoke and the surrounding pines filling her lungs while she wiped her cheek dry with her clammy palm.  
     “I haven’t talked to my dad in _three years_... Not a single word... But my grandpa...he got sick. And I knew he’d be there -- my dad. But I had to come... ‘Cause... When I stopped talking to my dad I stopped talking to the rest of his family too...the only family I really had growing up." She could recall every Christmas, every Easter and New Year. They had never felt so far away, and so out of her grasp. "And I felt so...so fucking _shitty_...” She clenched her teeth while her hands balled into fists in her lap. “They didn’t do anything wrong, y’know...? How could I just...let my grandpa die? And not at least go tell him goodbye? And that I love him?”  
     Laura-Mae’s throat grew taut, more tears begging to push their way out into the open.  
     “But I didn’t want to put Marty through that...through looking my dad in the eyes...after he found out what he did.” She sniffled, unabashedly wiping her nose on the back of her hand.  
     With a more boisterous and genuine laugh a light fog rose up from her lungs.  
     “So here I am! Here I am...just waiting for Marty to...come and _save_ me... Like he always does...”  
     Daryl was silent for several long, staggering moments. Thick tension blossomed, flourished, _thrived_ in the stagnant night air. It weighed heavily on Laura-Mae’s heart, and even more so on her mind.

 _‘Let him think whatever he wants... He’s not_ **_entitled_ ** _to know... No one is. That... That is_ **_mine_ ** _to bear.’_

     “Your dad...” Daryl spoke barely above a whisper. “He... What, he used to hit you or somethin’?”  
     Stunned at the blunt question, Laura-Mae sat upright and stared wide-eyed over at him. His gaze was curious but gentle.  
     “...No,” she breathed out another pitiful chuckle. Her eyelids fluttered like a nervous butterfly's wings. The hazels just beneath them drifted slowly up to the stars and flooded with fresh, stinging tears that blurred the twinkling lights up in the black sky. “Never...”  
     Only moments passed before Daryl spoke, softly.  
     “I’ll... I’ll keep an eye out... For Marty.”  
     “...Thanks, Daryl.”  
     “Mhmm...”  
     Laura-Mae sighed. She had to change the topic. She wanted nothing more than to just shove away the disturbing thoughts beginning to plague her.  
     “So, uh...” Her tingling hands slapped lightly at her cheeks and she sat upright. “I guess this is really it, huh...?” She asked the question briskly, trying to shift her tone into a less somber one. Somehow her recent memories of heads being blown open and guts being slurped up like spaghetti seemed much more tolerable than the ones she wanted so desperately to dismiss. The gunshots that had been ringing out around her like a steady rainfall only hours ago seemed like a mere fantasy. “All those sick people...”  
     Daryl shook his head. “They ain’t sick. They’re _dead_.”  
     “Yeah... Yeah, you’re right, huh...? The camp I was at...before... I saw...some guy get torn apart...” Reliving the thoughts now was more unpleasant than she’d anticipated. Although on second thought, she reflected, she really should have anticipated it. Before she continued she had to take pause. “A few minutes later he just... It seemed like he came back to life, but...he was _different_.”  
     “It’s that virus. It kills you...then makes you start eatin’ people.”  
     Laura-Mae laughed.  
     Daryl shot her an incredulous look.  
     “No, no, uh...” She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. “No. It’s not funny. It’s just... I mean, how... How is this even _real_? I... I mean I thought I was...killing _people_? And... I mean was I?”  
     “You killed ‘em before?”  
     “...Well, yeah I mean... I guess...we all have by now, right? They...those people can’t be reasoned with.”  
     “I told you, they _ain’t_ people.”  
     She shook her head softly, staring down at the dirt.  
     “So... So what, you...get bitten? And then they... You turn into one of them?” Laura-Mae scratched absently at the little red bumps that made a messy mountain range on the lower half of her leg.  
     “...Yeah. And if you’re lucky someone puts you out of your misery before you do.”  
     “... _Fuck_.”  
     After several silent moments Laura-Mae clenched her fists.  
     “But... I know Marty will be here soon...” She wasn’t sure whether she was trying to convince Daryl or herself. “I know he’s strong enough.” _These_ words she spoke confidently. “He can make it through anything! He...He’s too stubborn to give up,” she punctuated the statement with a soft smile.  
     After a light sigh she added, “I mean if _I_ could make it this far...”

_‘Oh, please. You got lucky and you know it.’_

     She frowned.

 _‘And if you’re lucky... Maybe someone will put_ **_you_ ** _out of your misery before you get yourself killed.’_

     Drawing a knee back up to her chest, Laura-Mae hugged her arms around it and buried her face into her warmed flesh. In the newfound quiet she could hear the fire crackling as though it were all around her. Unpleasant memories began to cloud her again. She could still see the smoke choking out the stars, her once-beautiful sanctum set mercilessly ablaze.  
     “The old man said you helped him...”  
     Laura-Mae’s eyes snapped up at him. “...Dale?” She weakly laughed and smiled. “Maybe he’s giving me a little too much credit... That seems like a thing he’d do. It's more like _he_ helped _me_."  
     Now she leaned back on a free hand, scratching at her leg with the other.  
     “Say... You were at the other fire, right? Back in camp?”  
     “...Mhmm."  
     “So... What was everyone laughing at anyway?”  
     Daryl’s eyebrows furrowed down and he scowled.  
     “You said someone was laughing at you...?” Laura-Mae smiled at him and kept her tone casual. “For _some odd reason_ I can’t imagine you telling any good jokes.”  
     Brooding, he kept right on frowning.  
     “Aw, come on! I bet it’s not all bad.”  
     “They didn’t believe me when I told ‘em...” he hesitated.  
     She chuckled. “When you told ‘em what?”  
     “...’Bout the time I saw a chupacabra.”  
     Laura-Mae didn’t say anything. Instead she kept staring at him, wide-eyed and slack-jawed.  
     “That...was _not_ what I was expecting you to say at _all_ ,” she snickered.  
     Daryl crossed his arms over his chest, and glowered down at his boots.  
     “No, but... That’s cool, though!” She leaned forward, still chuckling a bit. “You really saw one? Like for real?”  
     His eyes shifted up to her, his arms still firmly crossed. He nodded.  
     “What, up north? I think that’s where Bigfoot is too! Uh... Sasquatch...es?”  
     “Shut up.”  
     “What? What, I’m serious!” Her face reflected this neatly, her thick eyebrows high up on her forehead. “Dude, cryptids are my _jam_! I always really liked the Jersey Devil myself. Hooves, bat wings, _red eyes_...”  
     Daryl stayed quiet, his gaze shifting uneasily back and forth. It looked as though he wasn’t exactly sure how to respond.  
     “What did it look like?” Laura-Mae eagerly asked.  
     He hesitated.  
     “...Did it have spikes on its back?” she prodded.  
     “ _No_.” He uncrossed his arms slowly. “But I saw its eyes glowin’...”  
     “ _Whoa_... What color?”  
     “...Green.”  
     “Cool!”  
     Daryl scoffed, sitting up straight. “You pullin’ my leg?”  
     “Oh no, I told you -- I'm serious! I believe you! I mean... In a world where... _dead people_ come back to life...a chupacabra doesn't sound too weird to me...”  
     She mused for a moment before continuing. “You know, I saw something pretty weird a couple times... In this little creek in the park I lived across the street from... It was big and hairy, swimming around and popping up every once in a while.”  
     “...Sounds like you're talkin’ ‘bout a damn sewer rat.”  
     “Oh, oh okay. You get a _literal_ _chupacabra_ and all I get is a _sewer rat_? No, that’s fair. That's _totally_ fair.” Laura-Mae was sure to keep right on smiling as she joked with him. For a while he didn't say anything, only shaking his head and looking off to the side as he had done before.  
     After several moments Daryl broke the silence again.  
     “You plannin' on lookin' for your family? Back in Atlanta?”  
     Laura-Mae couldn’t hide her almost aggravated frown, getting yanked right back into that unpleasant place from mere minutes ago.  
     “Honestly? I... I don’t know if I _could_...even...even if I wanted to.” Her eyes were cast solemnly down at the dirt, and she swirled her tiny finger absentmindedly around in it. “All I keep thinking is just... I hope they made it out okay. And maybe... Maybe Dad made it back to Columbus...”  
     “Columbus?”  
     “Yeah! I, uh... That's where I grew up... For the most part anyway. Why, you've heard of it?” She perked up.  
     “'Bout a couple hours south? Right on the Chattahoochee?”  
     “Yep! That's the place!”  
     “The cops around there are a buncha assholes.”  
     Laura-Mae scoffed. “Well yeah! If you're breakin’ the law I'm _sure_ they're assholes!”  
     Daryl shot her a steely glare, holding it for a moment before he spoke.  
     “...That what you think of me and my brother? Think we're criminals?”  
     Laura-Mae sat upright at his dire shift in tone.  
     “Wh-What? No, I uh... Shit... I... I didn't mean anything by it man, I'm sorry...”  
     He said nothing, only casting his eyes sidewards once again. Laura-Mae looked down at the fire, downtrodden.

 _'See? Told you. You'll only embarrass yourself. You really should have never come out here. You_ **_deserve_ ** _to freeze to death, you know that?’_

     Clenching her teeth together, Laura-Mae hugged her arms tightly around herself.  
     “Sorry,” she practically whimpered.  
     After a moment he grunted. “Whatever. Been called worse.”  
     “Yeah, but... I dunno... That was a shitty thing for me to say. Sorry.”  
     “Would you quit sayin’ sorry all the damn time? It's startin’ to get on my nerves,” he growled.  
     “Oh, uh... Yeah... S-- Um... Sorry.”  
     Daryl shot her another glare.  
     “Sorry! Shit, uh... Fuck...”

_'That's right. Keep it up, idiot.’_

     Laura-Mae let out an exasperated sigh.  
     “Look, I uh... I promise I didn't come over here to piss you off. Like I said earlier, it's just... It's really cold in my RV. I mean... My dog's got about two tons of fur so _she's_ fine, but...”  
     “Why didn't you go to camp, then?” He still sounded agitated, but considerably less so than moments before.  
     After contemplating the question for a heartbeat or two, she finally answered him.  
     “To be... _really real_ with you...? I'm...not...good with people. Especially not...that many.”  
     “Then why you comin’ and talkin’ to me?”  
     “Because... Baby steps, Daryl. Baby steps,” she smiled.  
     A snap in the foliage sent them both into an alert state. Laura-Mae sat upright and jerked her head over at the noise. Daryl tentatively reached for his crossbow, but stopped short at the sound of Merle's voice.  
     “You done _cryin’_ like a little schoolgirl yet?” he taunted before stepping into the little clearing. His sunken eyes flicked over to Laura-Mae, who offered him a polite wave and a weak smile.  
     “Well if it ain't little miss Annie Oakley! What you doin’ out here with my baby brother, huh?”  
     “Uh, hey Merle... Just...trying to warm up, y'know?” She laughed nervously and gestured loosely with her thumb at the fire.  
     “Uh-huh... He showin’ ya a good time?”  
     “Oh Daryl? Yeah, he's a _real_ ray o’ sunshine!”  
     “Ain't he, though?” Merle smiled over at him and paced over to the fire, pushing his pale palms out towards it. “That old man with the stupid hat told me your name... Elly May?”  
     “L... Laura-Mae.”  
     “ _Laura-Mae_ , right...”  
     “The old man is Dale, by the way. And... I like his hat! It's got character.”  
     “Do ya! Well...that makes two folks at least.”  
     The three of them stayed silent while Merle made himself comfortable on a stump near Daryl, casually undoing his belt as he sat.  
     After studying her for a few moments, Merle spoke to Laura-Mae once more.  
     “Say... That's a pretty nice rock you got on your finger there. What's that ‘sposed to scare off the fellers or somethin’?”  
     Laura-Mae briskly admired her engagement ring, the colors of the flames sparkling in the large diamond.  
     “No, uh... My fiance gave it to me... When he proposed, y'know? It's just a little _tradition_ we like to take part in.” She punctuated the sarcastic sentiment with a light laugh.  
     Daryl shifted a glance over at Merle, waiting what seemed to be anxiously for his response.  
     But Merle kept right on smiling back at her. “Oh, so you got a _fiance_ now. Thought you said it was just you 'n’ your dog.”  
     “Well... He's not here... _yet_.” She twiddled her thumbs, observing the pattern as she did so.  
     Merle lifted an eyebrow. “If he ain't here, then...where is he?”  
     “He's comin’ to get her,” Daryl finally piped up. The look Merle gave him was an odd mix of hostile and curious.  
     “Is that right?” Merle rubbed at his stubbly chin and his smile faded a bit. “Y'know I hate to break your heart, babydoll, but... Somethin’ tells me that _fiance_ o’ yours--”  
     “ _Merle_ ,” Daryl dared to cut him off. Merle shot him an openly agitated look, his pointed teeth poking through a snarl on his thin lips.  
     “What? She oughta know!”  
     “I _do_ know...” Laura-Mae drew both their attention. “I... I mean I know what you're gonna say...” She gulped, desperately breaking her eyesight away from them. “But you're wrong... I know he's still alive. He’s... He’s a hell of a man, my Marty!”  
     After a moment's pause, Merle presented an amused smile to her once more. “Okay... Whatever you say, darlin’.”  
     Daryl looked as though he was trying to hide a shocked face, his gaze shifting uneasily between the two of them.  
     “Hey, uh... Thanks for...letting me sit here, you guys. But I think... I think I better try and get some sleep.” Laura-Mae stood, brushing the leaves and dirt off of her rear.  
     “What, you leavin’ already?” Merle asked almost pathetically. “C'mon, I just got here!”  
     “Yeah...” she hesitated. “But I probably shouldn't...leave my dog by herself for too long.” Another nervous laugh escaped her.  
     “Hm. Alright then,” Merle frowned. “Maybe we'll...see you around.”  
     “I'm sure you will... Bye, guys.”  
     Before either of them had a chance to respond she was already tiptoeing away. Her eyes were locked down onto her bare feet and the obstacles she would avoid along her previous path. Particularly the pinecone that had nearly gotten her an arrow through the eye socket.

_‘If only you had been so lucky, huh?’_

     Treading along the dirt road, Laura-Mae hugged herself tightly.

_‘No... Everything’s gonna be okay... Marty will be here soon. He told me... And I know he’ll make it happen.’_

     When Laura-Mae stepped up into the RV, Ringo’s head snapped up, her eyes uncrossing from behind her moppy fringe. Laura-Mae stifled a soft laugh as she locked the door behind her.

 _‘Sure... Sure he’s not here right_ **_now_ ** _, but... It’s like Daryl said... Maybe it’s just going to take him a little longer, y'know? That... That makes sense!’_

     The thought put her at ease, but only just. Shivering, Laura-Mae had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. If only the world hadn’t ended, she might dare to crank on her engine and turn on the heater. And yet...the world _had_ ended. And she had to stay smart.

_‘Smart as you can, anyway...’_

     Pushing out a sigh, Laura-Mae walked over and pulled her blanket down from her bed above the cab. Preemptively she wrapped it around herself before she paced back towards Ringo’s bed. Her tail slapped lazily against the mattress, making a neat and slow rhythm. Smiling, Laura-Mae scratched at the top of her head.  
     “Care to share?” While she climbed in and crawled behind Ringo, the pungent smell of dog filled her nostrils.  
     “ _Ugh_! When are you gonna learn how to do the laundry?” She huffed out a sigh, curling up and pressing her cheek against Ringo’s warm side. She let out a grunt and a sigh in response. In mere moments her breathing had slowed as she fell asleep once again to surely dream of chasing squirrels and chewing her ass.

 _‘Daryl and Merle, huh...? Quite..._ **_Quite_ ** _the characters...’_

     Merle’s towering stature over Daryl when he’d first walked up to the fire stuck out in Laura-Mae's wandering mind. The way that Daryl had seemed to tuck into himself around his brother left her...worried.

_‘Hell, he’s a grown-ass man... And it’s not like...you can pick your family...’_

     Quite suddenly and quite vividly she remembered a distinct part of their earlier conversation.

_‘Did I really just... Spill my guts out to a total stranger? Ugh... How embarrassing... At least he wasn’t...a complete dick about it...’_

     Those thoughts from before had started to push their way into the spotlight, dragging her further down into the mattress. She buried her cheeks into her blanket, fighting tooth and nail to think of anything, _anything_ besides what she already was.

_‘Marty... Marty will be here soon... Any day now...’_


	6. Humility

**EPISODE VI**

**Humility**

★★★

     Seven long days and seven sleepless nights had passed since Laura-Mae’s last brush with anyone from camp. Aside from Dale checking sporadically in on her, it had only been her and Ringo holed up in the Travelcraft. Every morning they would walk out into the forest, patrolling for any kind of alarming activity, and every morning there had been none.  
      Too slow and too fast all at once, seven afternoons had gone by filled with more long stares of longing down the road, and more troubling thoughts to battle. To her heavy relief there had been no more new faces trudging around camp from what she could tell. But, of course, had Marty’s face been one to arrive...that would have been just fine.  
      For seven dark nights she would always reflect this. Her mind would wrestle itself around between encouraging and hopeful to downright offensive. And she would miss him like crazy.  
      This morning, the eighth morning, there was a heavy but brisk knock on the door. A growl rumbled up from the back of the Travelcraft, but from Laura-Mae’s bed Ringo was hurriedly hushed. Half asleep, Laura-Mae crawled down from the warmth of her blanket and, bumbling a bit, she waved away Ringo’s curious approach and opened up the side door of her RV.  
      She had been expecting Dale’s mirthful mug to be waiting for her there despite the decidedly more _assertive_ knocking. When it was instead Shane’s stone-cold face looking as though even the ten seconds it took her to get the door had tried his patience, her heart dropped down into her stomach like an Olympic high diver. Ringo growled at him again from behind Laura-Mae's leg, and she was gently pushed away before Laura-Mae stepped out onto the grass and pulled the door closed behind her. Shane had stepped back to make room for her, and once he’d gotten her curious gaze he promptly spoke.  
      “Mornin’,” he started, his tone flat.  
      “...Mornin’,” Laura-Mae offered him a weak smile while she squinted against the sun's bright near-noon rays. “Is...everything okay?”  
      “You know somethin’? It _is_ . Seems like we’re pretty safe up here, don’t you think?”  
      “...Yeah. I... I’ve been going out on patrols every...every morning and night, y-y’know?”  
      “I do. And I appreciate it. We _all_ do. But...” He rubbed at his stubbly chin and crossed his muscular arms over his broad chest. “The whole ‘lookout’ thing worked for a while. Hell, you’re lucky Dale talked me into it, but truth be told I got a soft spot for ‘im. Must be the eyebrows, maybe the hat, I dunno.” He adjusted his posture to be somehow even more straight, more stiff, more stately. “Be that as it may... We got everyone else pitchin’ in around camp. But you...”  
      Laura-Mae broke her gaze away from him and jerked it to the side and down the road while she absentmindedly hugged herself.  
      “Look,” Shane’s tone was somewhat softer now, although not by much. “I know you’re waitin’ on your husband, but... I think we both know he woulda been here by now if he was comin’.”  
      She stiffened and shifted her eyes up to his. His dark, half-lidded gaze met hers easily, and he tilted his chin up just a bit, as though he was anticipating some sort of challenge on the particularly petulant point he had asserted.  
      “Uh... Yeah, I could...” Laura-Mae cleared her throat and rubbed at her arms. “You’re right, I... I should definitely be...pitching in more.”  
      Shane’s posture loosened considerably, and one of his eyebrows shifted up.  
      “Alright, well...” He offered her a small smile, just barely curling the corners of his lips. “There’s plenty o’ chores to go around. Anything in particular you wanna do?”  
      She shook her head before he even had a chance to finish his question. “Whatever you need, Shane," she said. "Just tell me.” All the while she tried her best to reflect his smile.  
      Shane looked satisfied enough, his smile growing slowly but surely into something of a grin, smug as it may have been. “ _Laundry_ isn’t the most popular choice. Think you can manage that?”  
      Laura-Mae winced a little but managed to hide it behind a well-timed smirk. “Hell yeah I can! ‘Bout time I did my laundry anyway... Uh... Just let me...walk my dog and I’ll be there as soon as I’m done.”  
      “Alright... Thanks, uh...”  
      “Laura-Mae,” she beamed an admittedly exaggerated grin at him.  
      “Yeah. Thanks.” On that note he stepped neatly away, his boots crunching back down the dirt road towards camp to deal with what surely were more pressing matters.  
     Laura-Mae pushed out a sigh once he was out of earshot in an effort to get rid of all the nervous energy that had been building and tingling just under her skin.

_‘Shit... You’re so patheti--’_

     Stepping back up into the Travelcraft, she shook her head.

 _‘That was_ **_fine_ ** _. I’ll start pitching in, and he’ll be happy. Simple as that. And I can_ **_still_ ** _wait for Marty.’_

     Taking Ringo’s leash, Laura-Mae whistled briskly over to her. She threaded the lilac leash through her belt loops while she waited and then tucked the metal clip through the leash’s loop opposite it. Already set in their new routine, Ringo was at Laura-Mae’s side in a matter of moments. Her fluffy tail wagged in wide circles behind her, and Laura-Mae smiled while she clipped her leash into place.  
     “What d’ya say, girl? Wanna go down to the quarry and help me with laundry?”  
     Ringo’s eyes sparkled up at her, and she spun in a brisk circle.  
     “Yeah, wanna help me wash your _nasty-ass_ sheet? Get a bunch o’ dog hair in the water, huh?”  
     She let out an excited whine, her tongue hanging from the side of her open mouth. Laura-Mae grabbed her inhaler and her knife from where they had been resting on the dinette table and pushed them into her back and front pockets respectively. After a quick check around the Travelcraft and a quick pat on Ringo’s head, the pair was out the door.  
     The further they made it down the road the more Laura-Mae’s brief conversation with Shane ran through her restive mind.

 _‘What exactly was he trying to say about Marty anyway? Why... Why is everyone around here so eager to... To just give up on him? Just because... I mean... It’s only been a_ **_week_ ** _. Maybe if it had been a_ **_month_ ** _...’_

     She shook her head, clenching her teeth.

 _‘No... That’s not the point he was trying to make... It’s time to stop being a...an anxious little hermit... It’s time to_ **_contribute_ ** _.’_

     Laura-Mae took in a deep breath, and the scents of the forest calmed her considerably.

 _‘For all we know... We might be all that’s left... And I can’t...let myself just be a_ **_leech_ ** _on society like that...’_

     A full frown fell onto her face.

 _‘Not like it’d be much different than before. But... That’s... That’s why I have to... To_ **_do_ ** _something! I can’t just... I can’t just keep_ **_waiting_ ** _...’_

     The pair had reached the end of their usual walk, and Laura-Mae hesitated there in the road for a good, long while. Ringo sat down beside her, and hassled in the hot morning sun.  
     “I’ve got to work harder...be _better_...” Laura-Mae was nodding to herself. She patted her back pocket to make sure her inhaler was there, and she gave Ringo’s leash two quick flicks as she continued on down the road.  
     “Gotta keep pushin’ girl. You and me...we gotta be ready for anything! Okay?”  
     Ringo’s nose twitched in the air and she stood up onto her shaky hips. Her head hung low as she plodded along behind Laura-Mae. Daring to break off into the forest, they made slow progress down the hill.  
     Laura-Mae stepped along neatly, watching her footing as carefully as she could. At the sudden sound of Ringo’s low growl she stopped short, her heart already beginning to thud hard in her chest. Laura-Mae shushed her with a mild hiss while her eyes stared through and past the forest.  
     A flash of deja vu rushed over her as well as a thick bout of nausea when she recognized the stumbling movements of a sick person.

 _‘No... They’re not a person..._ **_Not_ ** _a person...’_

     Laura-Mae took in some meditative breaths before she paced closer to it and drew her knife. Ringo resisted, her wide eyes locked onto the walking corpse.  
     “It’s okay,” Laura-Mae whispered over her shoulder. “We’ll go nice and slow... It’s just one...”

_‘And if anything happens...we can just run... Easy. ...Easy.’_

     Despite the reassuring tone of her inner voice for a change, Laura-Mae felt as though her whole body was buzzing, tingling and numb with the adrenaline that was rapidly beginning to take hold of her. Yet somehow she managed to keep her focus solely on her soles and the dewy foliage underneath them. She would stop just short of the scratchy bark of a twig, or the prickly poke of a pinecone. Ringo’s bumbling paws even managed to draw little attention.  
     Soon they had sneaked mere meters away from the psycho. There was no sign of any others, but by now Ringo was putting up quite a fight. Her paws planted into the dirt and she pulled back, setting Laura-Mae stumbling back. She just managed to avoid stepping on a sharp stone, but sacrificed her balance in the process.  
     Landing firm on her rear she garnered the keen attention of the psycho. Its head swung around and glared wide-eyed at her while its body followed suit. As it snarled it stumbled eagerly towards her, and Ringo let out a few brisk barks.  
     Laura-Mae grunted through a grimace while she stood herself up and held her knife out in front of her. She took a few tentative steps back, _somehow_ suddenly caring much less about where she stepped or what she might step on. The psycho took a hulking step forward, tripping and closing the gap between them.  
     “Shit,” she spat. Ringo barked a couple more times, but Laura-Mae snapped a glare over her shoulder and managed to silence her.  
     When she looked back at the psycho its teeth were just inches from her face, snapping and clacking and wet with foul-smelling drool. Without so much as a thought Laura-Mae pushed it back with a flat palm and a hard shove. It fumbled back and fell, mirroring her earlier display of clumsiness.  
     “It’s okay, Ringo,” Laura-Mae preemptively comforted her while she tugged her along behind her. Not giving the psycho a chance to gain its footing, Laura-Mae hovered over it and planted her knife up to its hilt down into its cold chest with a tight-lipped moue. Her stomach rolled around inside of her at the sick squelching sound it made.  
     The psycho persisted, and Ringo started to growl again.  
     “It’s oka--”  
     The psycho grabbed onto her wrist with such a force that Laura-Mae winced and a restrained cry slipped from between her clenched teeth. She spat out a few choice curses while she struggled to pull her hand free and hold down its other arm with her free hand. The whole while its teeth were clacking away, its neck craning to chomp down on the flesh of her thigh.  
     Ringo whined and pulled back on her leash, and Laura-Mae found herself getting tugged between the two forces as though she were the meaty knot in the middle of a tug of war rope.  
     Finally, her eyes clenched tightly shut, she let the psycho pull her hand towards its mouth, and took the opportunity to plant her black blade deep into its eye until it sank down into the squishy socket.  
     The psycho was still. Laura-Mae reeled herself in with a deep breath and didn’t hesitate to climb off of the now permanently dead body. The sight of an arrow jutting from the top of its head caught her off guard.  
     Ringo growled lowly over into the foliage. Still catching her breath, her bloodied knife at the ready, Laura-Mae turned to face the sound of boot soles crunching on dead and dry leaves.  
     Daryl stepped out from the underbrush with his crossbow down at his side. Laura-Mae let out a heavy sigh and her stiff posture slumped down with much-welcomed relief. She brushed leaves off her ass with her free hand, and after she’d wiped her blade clean on the thigh of her jeans she sheathed it. When Daryl walked closer, Ringo kept right on growling at him until Laura-Mae stepped over and started to pet her.  
     “You did good, girl,” she told her softly. Ringo’s eyes were still as wide as dinner plates, but she offered a few tentative licks in Laura-Mae’s general direction.  
     “Gotta be the brain, y’know,” Daryl told her gruffly. He yanked his arrow up out of the psycho’s head and wiped it on his pants before reloading it into the flight groove of his crossbow.  
     Laura-Mae offered him a weak smile. “Yeah... Good thing you were out here, huh?”  
     Daryl shrugged. “You were doin’ alright. Shoulda gone straight for the head, though.”  
     “Yeah, uh...” She let out an airy and nervous laugh. “You were _following_ me?” Her eyebrows shifted down and she shied her face away from him a tad.  
     “ _No_ ,” he swiftly spat. “Don’t _flatter_ yourself. Saw that _disease-ridden_ bastard while I was out huntin’. Ain’t _my_ fault you showed up.” His eyes flicked briefly to Ringo, then back up to Laura-Mae. “Saw you brought your dog. Wanted to make sure it didn’t get hurt.”  
     “Oh, Ringo here?” Laura-Mae patted her furry head. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Ever.”  
     “Why you bringin’ her out here, then?”  
     Ringo laid down in the grass and shifted a wary glance at the still corpse as though double-checking it wasn’t going to decide to spring up again. Content with its significant _lack_ of springing, she rested her chin on her fluffy forepaws.  
     Laura-Mae faintly frowned but tried to keep her tone light. “She’s... She’s my best friend, okay? I want her to live for a long time. And if she’s gonna have any chance then...she’s gonna hafta learn. Just like me.”  
     Daryl stayed quiet, looking down to study Ringo for a while.  
     “Why’d you even name her?” he scowled. “She’s just gonna die out here.”  
     A flabbergasted laugh erupted from Laura-Mae.  
     “Well!” she guffawed. “If only I thought of that when I adopted her eight years ago! I guess I wasn’t expecting...y’know... _all this_.” She gestured loosely towards the dead body on the forest floor.  
     He said nothing, looking out into the forest.  
     “Hey, I’m... I’m gonna go scope a little further out,” Laura-Mae told him timidly. “Make sure there aren’t anymore, y’know? Then I’ll head back up and tell the others.”  
     He nodded, but stayed where he was.  
     Laura-Mae started to step away, but Daryl stopped her short.  
     “Hold up,” he said. “I gotta check some traps anyway. Least I can do is make sure you ‘n’... _Ringo_ don’t wind up gettin’ yourselves killed.”  
     “Oh, great!” Laura-Mae smirked. “My own personal security detail, huh? Well ain’t that just _swell_!”  
     Daryl rolled his eyes and headed further down the hill.  
     “Aw, c’mon!” Laura-Mae called after him. Ringo stood and stretched out her back legs before trotting to catch up with her.

★★★

     In silence the trio traveled, making focused progress through the dense forest with their collective heads on a swivel. Pleased with having walked a clear quarter mile with no trouble (aside from a squirrel Ringo tried to chase and nearly knocked Laura-Mae on her ass for the second time that day -- which Daryl _may_ or may not have snickered at), Daryl finally spoke.  
      “We’ll check the traps then head back.” He flicked his eyes over to Laura-Mae and Ringo and scoffed at the sight of them, both doubled over and fighting to catch their breath. Old and asthmatic. What a great pair they made! “Or you can turn in if you want. Looks like you need it.”  
      “Gee, _thanks_ ,” Laura-Mae said between breaths. At the thought of going back to camp, Shane’s agitated face flashed into her mind and she had to suppress a groan. “But I’ll... I’ll stick around! Maybe you could teach me a thing or two, huh?” Laura-Mae stood up straight and planted her hands on her hips.  
      Daryl shrugged. “Whatever.”  
      “Cool! Marty was going to take me hunting someday, but... We never got around to it, I guess.” She gave an exaggerated sigh. “So much for shooting at hogs from a helicopter now though, huh?”  
      Daryl only let out a short “Tch,” then stepped his way into a tiny clearing. Quietly he gestured for her to follow, jerking his chin towards the patch of grass. Laura-Mae and Ringo did just that, Ringo seeming much less enthused about the whole ordeal the more time passed. Still she followed along, seeming at least pleased that there were no more terrifying psychos to deal with. Laura-Mae was glad for that too.  
      When they’d gotten close enough, Laura-Mae could hear Daryl cursing under his breath. Peeking curiously over his shoulder from a yard or so back, she saw about half of a rabbit corpse dangling from a sprung trap.  
      “...Looks like our friend had a little snack, huh?” Laura-Mae tried to laugh weakly. Daryl mumbled something to himself before yanking the rest of the rabbit’s body from the trap and tossing it haphazardly into the foliage.  
      “C’mon. May as well show ya how to set one up.”  
      “Huh? Uh... Really?”  
      “Said you wanted to learn, didn’t ya?”  
      “Y-Yeah! Sure!”  
      “Alright, c’mon then.” He hunkered down next to the string tied around a low-hanging branch.  
      “You get this wire here,” he started, focusing in on re-tying it to a thick stick jutting from the ground.  
      “Oh, and you just get that from the wire plants, I guess?” Laura-Mae grinned.  
      Daryl frowned over his shoulder at her. “This some big _joke_ to you?”  
      “Uh... No, uh... Sor-- Uh... Please. Continue. I’m listening.”  
      Grunting, he turned back and silently finished up the trap. The final result was a loop just about big enough for a rabbit to squeeze through, and... As for the rest, she wasn’t too sure.  
      “Just find a way to set it somewhere the rabbit’s gonna go. Like through some bushes or on a path.” He extended his index finger out to a neat little path of dirt in the grass.  
      Laura-Mae nodded. “Okay, cool. Seems easy enough!”  
      “Yeah,” he grumbled, “I’ll let you set up the next one.”  
      “Oh! Uh... Okay...”  
      “It’s this way, just up here.” Before she could respond Daryl was lumbering away again, looking easily up at the forest around him as he walked. Although Laura-Mae followed a little more slowly, what with having to be mindful of where she stepped, she did her best not to get left behind. In spite of her lethargic and loping pace, Ringo managed to keep up with the both of them easily.  
      A short distance away Daryl strode up to a gathering of sticks planted into the dirt. On his approach the rabbit that was caught there started to squirm and struggle. With his hand he motioned at Laura-Mae to come closer. Ringo’s ears perked up at the sound of its weak cries, and she was trying to pull her way over to it.  
      “Ah-ah!” Laura-Mae gripped Ringo’s collar. “Sit. _Sit_ , Ringo,” she hissed through her teeth. Licking her lips, her dark eyes locked on the rabbit, she lowered her weight down onto her fluffy haunches. The tip of her tail was up, and her back was stiff.  
      “Stay,” Laura-Mae commanded firmly.  
      “Your knife,” Daryl grunted. “Finish it off.”  
      “Wh-what, _now_ ?”  
      “...No. _Tomorrow_ . Just hurry up and do it!”  
      “...O-Okay... Cool... Ringo, _stay_ .”  
     Ringo stayed where she was, staring steadfast at the rabbit weakly scrambling around in the dead leaves. Laura-Mae took in a deep breath and stepped forward.

 _‘No... No big deal, right? I mean...if I can take out one of those..._ **_things_ ** _, then...’_

     While she hovered over the animal its big, shining black eyes blinked pathetically up at her. Its front paws were scrambling, claws digging little streaks into the dirt. Its back legs were tied up in the trap and completely stiff. Laura-Mae struggled not to think about her pet rabbit she had when she was younger, and how she used to lick her on the hand when her favorite spot was getting scratched.  
     “C’mon!” Daryl snapped and made her jump. “Right on the neck. Clean.”  
     Laura-Mae pushed out a sigh through pursed lips. “Okay, okay...” Ringo whined, but stayed where she was at a quick and stern gaze from her master.  
     Pushing out another brisk breath, Laura-Mae awkwardly grabbed the rabbit by the ears and made quick work of running her blade along the fur under its chin. Dark red blood oozed from the new wound, swelling over the blade and blotting onto her pale hands. She wiped them on her pants as fast as she could, followed by her knife.  
     “Nothin’ quite like slicing open a cute, furry critter, huh?” She laughed weakly, beckoning Ringo closer to her with a gentle leash tug. She stopped her short of inspecting the creature, absently watching Daryl go over to untie its feet.  
     As soon as he had, it bucked and kicked wildly, and with a hiss through his teeth Daryl dropped it. It scampered quickly and sloppily away into the undergrowth.  
     “Damnit!” Daryl snapped over at Laura-Mae. “Can’t you take anything _serious_?” Yet again, he left her no time to respond before he yanked his crossbow up and darted off into the forest after the rabbit.  
     “H-Hey!” Laura-Mae shouted mildly out to him. “Wait up!” With a grunt she looked over to Ringo, reaching out to unclip her leash.  
     “C’mon, girl! Go get it!”  
     Ringo was off in a flash. Although her old hips usually left her limping, she was pushing neatly through the foliage. Huffing out a few more quick breaths and tying the rest of Ringo’s collar around her pants, Laura-Mae sprinted off after them.

★★★

     Beneath her bare feet the foliage fell into soft oblivion. Laura-Mae had to keep her eyes straight ahead if she wanted to keep up. And, not knowing exactly where she was, she certainly didn’t want to get separated. Ringo’s fluffy white tail made for a good visual guide, leaving Laura-Mae to chase listlessly after her.  
      Her palms pushed precariously stray branches and bushes from her path and on the odd occasion she would throw her arms in front of her face as a makeshift shield. A sharp pain started to stab into her side, but with an involuntary grin she was able to ignore it. All she could notice was the wind in her frizzy hair. Brown curls bounced and tickled at her pale cheeks, and a giddy giggle was begging to rise up from her aching chest.  
      Just as soon as she started losing her breath, Ringo had skidded to an abrupt halt behind Daryl. She cautiously wagged her tail, pacing up to his side. Ringo stopped short when he grabbed the rabbit by the head and expertly snapped its neck in one swift movement, ending its squealing and writhing.  
      When Daryl turned to face Laura-Mae with a stern frown, her smile faded. Looking down, she timidly paced over and clipped Ringo back onto her leash.  
      “Sorry,” she mumbled between breaths.  
      Through gritted teeth he responded. “This ain’t a damn _summer camp_ or somethin’. We ain’t here to _socialize_ and _make jokes_ .”  
      “Well...” Laura-Mae pouted. “Well _excuse_ me for trying to lighten the mood!” Her tone was a little shaky, but she stood tall and crossed her arms over her chest. “Just because... Just because the world ended doesn’t mean we can’t at _least_ laugh every now and then!”  
      Daryl gave her a challenging glare, but stayed quiet.  
      Her anger started to simmer, rise up like the little bubbles that float from the bottom of the pot before the water starts to boil. Laura-Mae dared to continue. “And did it ever cross your mind...that maybe everybody _copes_ differently? _I_ like to make jokes, and you...well _you_ like being an _asshole_ , apparently!”  
      Daryl’s trademark scowl grew ever larger, his eyebrows knitting together and furrowing down. But still, he didn’t say anything at all.  
      “Why even ask me to come with you if you _clearly_ don’t want me here?” She ranted on. Ringo whined up at her, but she kept right on going. “I’m _sorry_ I fucked up, dude. I _thought_ I killed it. You think I _wanted_ to haul my fat, asthmatic ass around here?” She punctuated the thought with a scoff of a laugh, then shook her head and crossed her arms.  
      “...Look. I know you hate it when I say it but seriously... I’m sorry, man. I’m not trying to disrespect you, I just... I make jokes when I’m nervous, okay? Just cut me a little slack here.”  
      Daryl only huffed and puffed for a little bit longer before he finally gave his input.  
      “You go on back. I’m gonna go set the other trap.”  
      “Oh... Uh..." Laura-Mae wasn't sure why, but she felt stung, and her acute anger dissipated all at once, giving way to what felt to be hot embarrassment. "Yeah,uh... Sure.”  
      He stepped swiftly and easily past her, rabbit and crossbow in tow.  
      “Wait, uh... Daryl, I’m...”  
      He stopped short but kept his back turned to her.  
      “Sorry I called you an asshole, man. Y... You’re _not_ an asshole...”  
      “ _Stop_ sayin’ sorry all the damn time,” he growled. Then he trudged off into the wilderness all on his lonesome. Laura-Mae and Ringo both watched after him for a moment before Laura-Mae’s gaze fell down to her feet.

 _‘Way to go. First you_ **_bother_ ** _the poor guy with your life story, then you call him an asshole. You really are a piece of work, you know that?’_

     With a tired sigh she started back up the hill, and back towards the dirt road. The three of them had made it about two miles outside of camp, and her lungs were sure taking the brunt of the stress. Laura-Mae caught her wheezing breath, focusing on keeping it slow and steady. She contemplated taking a puff of her inhaler, but...

_‘...Might wanna make it last...’_

     If only pharmacies stayed open during the apocalypse. She imagined flashy signs advertising “END OF THE WORLD” pricing.

 _‘The last medicine you’ll ever need! Or ever have access to, like, fucking_ **_ever_ ** _!’_

     Remembering Daryl’s “constructive” criticism from mere minutes prior, she wiped the smile off her face. Once her feet had met the familiar warm, dry dirt of the road she allowed herself to look up. Ringo was plodding along behind her, her head low and her tail drooping.  
     “Oh, I know it, ol’ girl,” Laura-Mae groaned. “But... We’ve been slackin’ off the past few years! We gotta get into _survival_ mode, huh girl?”  
     Ringo perked up, but just a little.  
     “One more push, Ringo! Come on!” Laura-Mae quickened her pace to a light jog and Ringo did the same. Her tongue hung sloppily from the side of her mouth as she trotted along, easily keeping up with her.  
     Laura-Mae kept pushing, past the side pain, past the wheezing, past her whole face feeling red and hot and throbbing, and past her lungs feeling as though they might burst. She kept her breathing steady. In through the nose, out through the mouth.

_‘Push... Push... Push...’_

     Her heart thudded, thumped, pulsed in her aching chest. The clacking of the psycho's teeth rang in her ears.

_‘They have to know...’_

     Dale’s words from a week ago had stuck with her.  
     “ _I know how passionate you are about keeping us all safe_ ,” he had said to her with a smile that seemed so genuine.

_‘I have to keep everyone safe...’_

     Her feet carried her a little faster onward. All her aches and pains blended into one bleary blur. Ringo picked up the pace too, jogging along while her name tag clinked around on her collar. It was in time with Laura-Mae’s bare footsteps slapping against the road, creating a neat rhythm.  
     To her pleasant surprise, Laura-Mae caught the sight of the top of her Travelcraft. With a smile she ran just a little faster, a loud wheeze echoing up around her. In only a few more rhythmic moments she was doubled over at the side door, opening it up and unclipping Ringo with a free hand.  
     The both of them drew their breaths in raggedly, climbing up into their home on wheels and flopping unceremoniously down -- Ringo on the floor and Laura-Mae on the couch. After being in the bright daylight for so long, everything in the Travelcraft was cast in an unsettling shade of green, and she could feel her pulse in her ears. Catching her breath, Laura-Mae untied Ringo’s leash from around her and tossed it onto the table. Once she’d managed to steady herself, Laura-Mae gave Ringo a quick pat on the head.  
     “Be right back,” she told her before stepping neatly back out of the RV.

_‘One more push!’_

     Briefly stretching her legs and blinking the green out of her vision, Laura-Mae jogged on. Along the quarter mile to camp, she only focused on _contributing_ and _protecting_.

_‘I... I have to have faith in me! Because if I don’t, I mean... Who else will?’_

     Shane’s smug face flashed into her mind, and she trod on a large and pointy stone that dug into the arch of her foot and managed to distract her for a moment.

 _‘No... I don’t need him to believe in me. Or anyone else! I have... I have_ **_me_ ** _!’_

     Her wheezing was all she could hear now, as though it were bouncing off the walls of an empty auditorium.

 _‘I’m fucking_ **_doomed_ ** _!’_

     When she’d reached the edge of the clearing, Laura-Mae finally retrieved her inhaler from her back pocket and took a deep puff. Although her wheeze was still ever-present, it was at least that much more quiet.  
     As her clearing eyes looked up, her stomach sank at the sight of several faces. Just like that morning when she’d noticed all the new folks in the first place, they were all moving about, carrying buckets and clothes and food. They were surviving. And by the looks of the new tents and supplies all gathered and made neat, they were absolutely _thriving_...all things considered, of course.

_‘And these are the people...I’m protecting... If that’s...what I’m even doing.’_

     Steadying herself with a final deep inhale, Laura-Mae stepped forward. It felt as though she were passing through a physical barrier, somehow cold and bitter amidst the sweltering Georgia heat. Keeping her eyes down she elected to try and look for Dale in her peripheral vision, blurry as it was. When she instead noticed two feminine figures walking closer to her she looked up, already offering them a wide smile, whoever they wound up being.  
     It was Andrea and Amy, the latter returning her smile in a quick moment. Andrea followed suit, a little.  
     “Hey, Laura-Mae!” Amy greeted her warmly, as though they'd been friends for ages. “Shane told us you’d help out with laundry today.”  
     “He told you right!” Laura-Mae laughed weakly and looked past her shoulder, but there was no sign of Dale. “Hey uh, speaking of Shane... Is he nearby?”  
     “Yeah, he’s...right over there with Lori.” Amy pointed behind her at a tent close to the heart of the clearing.  
     “Why? What’s the matter?” Andrea’s voice was concerned but steady.  
     Laura-Mae glanced around, then conceded a sigh. “Come on,” she told them gently. They followed closely behind as she walked up to Shane. From where he sat in a fabric fold-up chair, he looked up from his close conversation with Lori.  
     “Could I...talk to you for a second, Shane?” Laura-Mae asked him. She offered a polite smile over to Lori, who stood up just as soon as he had. The group huddled closely around her, and she cleared her throat awkwardly.  
     “I don’t uh...want to freak anyone out or anything, but... I went a little further out on my walk today, and I, uh... I found one of those psychos--uh...sick people...things.”  
     As Laura-Mae had anticipated, they were all immediately freaked out.  
     In an attempt to quell their worries she hastily continued. “We -- uh... Me and Daryl looked around more and couldn’t find another one. It was...about two miles outside of camp, I guess.”  
     "And you mean to tell me you just _left_ it out there?" Shane's tone was harsh.  
     "No, uh... I... We took care of it."  
     For a long and tense moment no one said anything, only trading anxious glances with one another.  
     Shane addressed her evenly. “Two miles? Down the road there?”  
     “Uh, yeah. It’s a little off the path, but...you should be able to find it okay, I think. I-I can take you out there if you want.”  
     “Nah, that’s alright. You just go ahead and get started working. Me and Dale’ll have a look.”  
     “And thank you,” Lori butted in kindly, patting Shane's shoulder.  
     “Yeah,” Laura-Mae said nervously. “Uh, I was thinking maybe after, uh... Maybe later on I could take my RV down and scope it out further on down the mountain. Right before it gets dark, y’know?”  
     “I’ll go with you,” Andrea said immediately.  
     “Me too!” Amy piped up.  
     “No,” Andrea shook her head. “You’ll stay here.”  
     “Now hold on a minute,” Shane sounded a little irked. “We haven’t decided anyone’s goin’ anywhere.”  
     Andrea scowled over at him. “I think it’s a good idea. You don’t want to make sure everyone’s safe?” She sounded as though she were challenging him.  
     Shane stood up straight, and Lori leaned away from him and placed her hands on her narrow hips. “Course I do. That’s why we can’t have just anyone goin’ stumblin’ around out there.”  
     “What, you think we can’t handle it?”  
     “Andrea...” Amy gingerly patted her shoulder.  
     Laura-Mae spoke up, briskly. “I’ve... I’ve uh... _taken down_ a handful of them by now... I won’t do anything that puts anyone in danger. I promise.”  
     “That’s right,” Andrea nodded. “She helped hold them off while Dale got me and Amy to safety... I trust her.”  
     Laura-Mae was struck by Andrea’s sentiment, and her cheeks flushed while she looked down at her wriggling toes.  
     Shane thought on it for a moment, then sighed. “Alright. But when the time comes, just don’t go tryin’ to be a hero. That shit’ll get you killed.”  
     Lori rolled her eyes and scoffed while she stepped back towards what Laura-Mae could only assume was their tent. Huffing out a sigh, Shane followed right along after her.  
     Andrea beamed a grin over at Laura-Mae, and she returned it easily.


	7. To All Of You

**EPISODE VII**

**To All Of You**

★★★

     “So... Laundry?” Amy offered a sarcastic smile over to Andrea and Laura-Mae.  
      “I’m, like, _so_ excited?” Laura-Mae was happy to hear her joking, and returned it in a big double dose. The sisters laughed lightly in response and, tentatively, she joined them.  
      Idly leading the way to the quarry’s edge, Amy spoke over her shoulder. “We _really_ appreciate the help by the way. Everyone else is getting totally sick of it.”  
      “ _We’re_ getting sick of it,” Andrea huffed out an exasperated sigh. “If I have to pin one more pair of boxers to a line I might just _scream_ .”  
      Weakly Laura-Mae laughed. “Okay, _I’ll_ wash the tidy whities this time around. Don’t say I never did ya any favors!”  
      Andrea beamed a bright grin over at her, her sunny-sky eyes sparkling. “Okay, then; I owe you one!”  
      “We both do!” Amy piped in with a delighted chuckle. “Oh hey, did you need to get your stuff?”  
      “Uh... Yeah! Yeah, you’re right. I’ll... I’ll head to my RV real quick. Meet you guys down by the water?”  
      “We’ll see you down there alright,” Andrea rested her hand on her hip and watched Laura-Mae go. “There’s a path you can take right by Dale’s RV, okay?”  
      “Okay! Thanks, Andrea!” Laura-Mae waved back over her shoulder before she set an admittedly eager pace back to her home away from home on wheels. Her heart was pumping steadily from having used her inhaler, and her onset of overthinking made it that much worse. Keeping that small fact in mind she reminded herself to slow her steps. The least she could do was walk more slowly. She’d done her job -- her _main_ job, anyway.

 _‘And now for_ **_certainly_ ** _the most fun job of all! Washing strangers’ underwear..._ **_by hand_ ** _!’_

     Her eyes rolled and she stifled a giggle, shoving her hands into her pockets while she strolled along and kept her focus on her feet as she walked. They slap, slap, slapped against the dirt of the road, cool under the shadows that draped over it under the tall trees that lined the path. When the sound of boots thump, thump, thumping down the road caught her attention, she looked up.  
     Daryl came sauntering along, looking past her and into the clearing just on the lip of the quarry. His rabbit from their earlier outing was attached loosely to his belt, bouncing and jostling against the bloodied thigh of his jeans as he walked. A string of six or so squirrels was slung over his shoulder. When she looked up at him Laura-Mae was putting on a preemptive smile. Now it was fading fast.  
     As the distance between them grew smaller, she found herself struggling with deciding whether to greet him or not. Her squinted eyes awkwardly flicked to and fro from him to her feet. Just as they passed, their shoulders only inches away from brushing against one another, Laura-Mae pushed out a something of a frustrated sigh and turned to face him, calling out to him.  
     “Hey man, uh... You need any clothes washed or anything?”  
     Daryl stopped short, turning so that only his side was facing her. He adjusted his squirrel haul and briefly studied her behind a plain face.  
     Laura-Mae stammered, unsure how exactly to fill the sudden silence between them. “I uh... I was just gonna take my stuff down and... Y’know... Laundry?”  
     Barely he lifted an eyebrow, and looked briskly down at his bloodied pants. He didn’t say anything.  
     Laura-Mae let out a nervous little laugh. “H-Hey, I won’t judge ya! I mean... I get it... Y’know? Sometimes... Sometimes you think it’s a fart but then...” She shrugged and offered him a wincing chuckle.  
     He tried to hide it, but Laura-Mae saw: Daryl cracked a smile. A timid, twisted smirk in the corner of his mouth that he hid away from her with a jerking turn of his head.  
     “Okay,” he said plainly, gruffly, all the while looking away from her.  
     “Sweet!” Laura-Mae was absolutely beaming, like a bright ray of summer sun. “Just put your stuff on the hood of my RV or somethin’, okay?”  
     “Okay,” he repeated, finally shooting her a steely glare.  
     She grinned a toothy grin over at him and threw a two-fingered peace sign up before whirling around and continuing along her short trek out of camp.

★★★

     As soon as she swung the side door open Laura-Mae was gladly greeted by Ringo. Her big wet nose pushed close to the blood that was still painted onto Laura-Mae’s pants. She jerked her leg back and gently pushed her curious, sniffing snout aside.  
      Seeing the dark stain on her thigh, the recent memories flicked into her head. For a lingering moment she stood still with her eyes fixed blankly ahead of her, peering into empty nothingness. Inside her mind it felt as though eons were passing in the beat of a heart, flooding and crashing and roaring as loud as she had shouted at Daryl not even an hour ago.  
      “ _Well_ **_you_ ** _like being an_ **_asshole_ ** _, apparently!_ ” she had hollered at him. In the too-vivid theater of her mind her holler was more of a scream, a shriek dripping with hatred and indignation. The feeling of regret crawled all over her and bit at her skin like hungry mosquitoes. Her prompt apology, of course, was forgotten nearly entirely. The only thing she could focus on, the only thing she could think about was yelling at Daryl, most assuredly making him feel like garbage.  
      Ringo cried softly and pushed her nose against the palm of Laura-Mae’s hand. Almost instinctively her fingertips pushed into the plush fringe of her fur. Her eyelids fluttered and she pushed out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding in.  
      “Hey, girl... Got a power nap, did ya?” Laura-Mae let out a weak laugh. “Gettin’ hungry yet?”  
      Ringo’s ears perked up, and her plume of a tail became stiff in the air for a moment. In the next beat her mouth opened into a soft and panting smile.  
      Laura-Mae fanned at her face and leaned across the sofa to open up the window just above it. A soft breeze blew in, carrying the comforting scents of the forest, the sharp tang of pine and the far-off crisp earthy notes of the quarry and hints of sparkling freshwater. Ringo’s nose twitched up in the air and she licked her lips. Her top lip got caught behind her bottom row of teeth, and she looked over at Laura-Mae with glimmering eyes. She snickered and reached out to ruffle up her fur, sending whisp-thin hairs and a flurry of dander floating up into the cab.  
      “Ya goofy girl! C’mon let’s get breakfast.”  
      Ringo’s claws scratched at the linoleum when she spun in a tight circle and lead the charge towards the back. Laura-Mae followed closely behind and then scooped a healthy half-portion into her bowl and set it down. Ringo sniffed at it, then her doe eyes blinked pitifully up at her master, her loyal food-bringer.  
      “Aww, I know it girl... We gotta try and make it last, okay?”  
      Ringo huffed out a short and decidedly dissatisfied sneeze before she lowered herself down next to her bowl. Her bony elbows made a loud bump on the floor, and the crunch of kibbles soon followed.  
      Satisfied with the sight, Laura-Mae tiptoed past and tugged at the corners of the sheet on Ringo’s bed.  
      “First things first!” Fur fell from the fabric in clumps, making something of a rather sparse fur rug all around her feet. Laura-Mae grimaced at the sight but threw the thin blanket over her shoulder. After she’d retrieved her small plastic hamper from the back, she tossed it right in.  
      Catching a glimpse of the dark stain on her pants, she pushed out a sigh. Laura-Mae strolled up to the dinette table to rid herself of her knife and her inhaler and then stepped back into privacy behind the partition that separated the front of the Travelcraft from the back. She unbuttoned and pushed her pants down to her ankles before she stepped out of them. After tossing them into the hamper she made a move for the closet where she had been haphazardly storing her clothes for the time being, dirty and clean both.  
      A gentle thump against the hood of the Travelcraft made her jump and she hid herself behind the wooden partition just opposite Ringo's bed. Ringo coughed while she jerked her head up. They both just barely caught sight of Daryl through the windshield, walking away and leaving a disheveled pile of clothes behind. Laura-Mae let out a sigh of relief and stepped back out, having grabbed up a fresh pair of shorts from the closet. Once she'd slipped them on and piled the rest of her dirty laundry into the hamper, she grabbed it up and headed towards the side door.  
     By this time Ringo had finished up her food and was headed towards the back. She climbed up into her bed and, after letting out a little belch, she laid her head down and drifted quickly and quietly into sleep.

_'So much for bringin’ you along, huh? Ah, maybe next time. Not like I can blame you for wanting to get a little shut-eye...after all the excitement this morning.’_

     “Be back a little later, okay Ringo?”  
     Ringo huffed and rolled over onto her back.  
     “Hey, try not to stink up your bed too much while I'm gone!”  
     At that Laura-Mae stepped down the three metal stairs on the side of the Travelcraft and pulled the door closed behind her with a free hand. After she had shoveled the Dixon laundry into her hamper she made her way back into camp. It was at this moment, her bare feet slapping along down the sun-warmed dirt road while a cool breeze fluttered her dark tree-bark-brown waves up around her freckled face, that Laura-Mae was appreciative she'd been taking the initiative to walk more and more each passing day she had been there. She couldn't imagine how much she would have been struggling today had it not been for that small fact.  
     Once she had gotten closer to the heart of camp Laura-Mae caught sight of Daryl, pacing his way down the road and assumedly to his and Merle’s hideaway camp in the woods. His back was facing her, his head drooped down atop his slouched shoulders while he stared down at his boots crunching on the rocks in the road. At first she had wanted to call out to him, but remembering once again their earlier altercation she decided against it. Instead she opted to casually clear her throat as not to spook him when she passed, were it even possible to spook such a staunch and stoic individual as Daryl Dixon.  
     He jerked his head up and over his shoulder at the sound, and stopped where he was just by the shoulder of the road.  
     “Did you get--” he stopped himself short, his ice-blue eyes flicking to the hamper she had tucked under a pale, thin arm. “Thanks,” he mumbled.  
     “No problem, man!” Laura-Mae made a move to leave but stopped short so fast that some of the laundry in the hamper shifted up against the lip of it. “Oh, hey, while I've got ya... Me and Andrea were gonna take a little drive later on and look for more of those psychos. You gonna be out there?” She pushed out a laugh despite the serious question. “I'd hate for one of us to think _you're_ one and wing ya with a bullet!”  
     In response he only shook his head.  
     “Alright, cool. Catch ya later!” She turned to leave but stopped herself short yet again. “Oh, and, uh...” It truly was a shame that Daryl seemed to detest the word “sorry” so much. It was one that Laura-Mae had grown all too familiar with over the course of her life, one that she perhaps admittedly did overuse. Just a little. “I uh... I wanted to... _apologize_ again...for earlier.”  
     Daryl finally dared to meet her eyesight, and he held it for a moment. Facing her fully, his straight face seemed to stare into the very depths of her, as though he were deciphering a code and not believing her all at once. He jerked his gaze away.  
     “Whatever,” he said gruffly.  
     “Yeah, yeah,” Laura-Mae smiled and pushed up a dismissive wave with her free hand. “Don't worry, you still look like a _tough guy_. But... Not an asshole. Not much of one anyway.” When he looked back over at her she gave him the same big, crooked-toothed grin she always did.  
     “Now if you'll excuse me, _Mr. Dixon_ , I have to go and _socialize_ while I _scrub underwear_. Two of my favorite things, don't ya know?” She let out a chortling chuckle and gave him a light wave before heading along down the road.

★★★

     Having gotten so used to the path now, Laura-Mae made short work of her trek into camp. Expertly she skirted around dips and stones disheveling the dirt. During her first week there she had stepped on the stones and stumbled into the dips. But now, somehow, she felt that much more confident...about walking, at least.

 _‘Marty would be so proud... Sure I haven't..._ **_done_ ** _anything to_ **_merit_ ** _him being proud, but... He would be! He... He_ **_will_ ** _be.’_

     Doubt beginning to pull at her like a strong ocean tide, Laura-Mae had barely realized she was just at the edge of camp. Had Dale not been hustling up to her, she really might not have.  
     “Dale! Hey, man! Feels like it's been ages!”  
     “Yeah, sorry about that,” he gave her a distracted smile. Her own grin had started to dissipate.  
     “Whoa, uh... What's up?”  
     “Shane and I checked out what you... _found_ earlier.” He kept a side eye on a camper as they passed in silence, then he stepped closer to Laura-Mae once he had started speaking again.  
     “We didn't find anything else out there either, but... Andrea's going with you...later, right?”  
     “Uh, yeah...”  
     Dale placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it a little. “Promise me you'll keep her safe.” His dark eyes looked evenly into hers and after a few semi-stunned blinks she nodded.  
     “Of course, Dale. I... Nothing will happen to her. I promise.”  
     His distracted smile grew into a genuine one, and it looked as though he were holding back a thankful sigh.  
     “I know you'll keep her safe. And hey, you did the right thing, coming to tell us about it.” Giving her shoulder a light pat, Dale drew his hand back to his side.  
     “Thanks, Dale. I, uh... Thanks.” Laura-Mae looked away bashfully, twirling her hair around on her index finger.  
     “Alright, I'll let ya get back to it. I'd hate to keep ya from...” He gestured with a mischievous grin at the basket filled to the brim with laundry propped on her hip.  
     “Oh, yeah,” she smiled back over at him, “I'm just _dying_ to get down there and get started, y'know?”  
     Dale offered up a brisk chuckle. “Just holler if you need anything. You know where I'll be.”  
     “Sure do, Dale.” With a polite parting wave, Laura-Mae started her inevitable journey on down the side of the quarry.  
     Stepping neatly along the dirt path that snaked down the cliffside, Laura-Mae could see from the corners of her eyes that Andrea and Amy were already at the water's edge. They spoke to each other in hushed tones, their voices mere mumbles from deep inside the stone basin.  
     “There she is!” She heard Amy brightly calling up to her, one of her hands waving wildly in the air. Laura-Mae couldn't help herself, couldn’t hold back a smile, and with her own free hand she waved right back. Andrea offered up a tight-lipped smile while she scrubbed away at a shirt.  
     By the time Laura-Mae was pacing up to them, Andrea was dipping the shirt into her bucket.  
     “Havin’ fun there?” Laura-Mae snickered.  
     “A total _blast_ ,” she joked right along, rolling her bright eyes.  
     Curiously Laura-Mae gazed around at the washtubs and brushes. “Old-school, huh?” She laughed nervously. “Believe it or not I've... _never_ done that before.”  
     “Oh it's easy,” Amy grinned. “Just... Wash and scrub! Whatever you're thinking is probably more complicated than it really is.”  
     “Well good! I was expecting there to be some sort of _elaborate_ _dance_ involved.” Laura-Mae set her hamper down by a free wash tub and pulled Ringo's sheet from amidst the dirty clothes. Andrea and Amy both gave her a polite chuckle, and in the back of her mind Laura-Mae was relieved.

 _‘Is it just me or are my jokes_ **_killing_ ** _it lately?’_

     Her cheeks flushing, Laura-Mae quietly started to shake free the fur from the sheet.

_'Nah... We're all just too eager to laugh. That's a lot better than being scared shitless I guess.’_

     Andrea and Amy had since fallen into their own conversation. Laura-Mae took a moment to study the older sister. Even though she was smiling at Amy, her bright eyes would shift every so often up to the forest at the top of the quarry.

_‘Worried about our little trip too, huh? ...Of course she is. What did I even get us into?’_

     Settling into a semi-comfortable position next to her wash tub, Laura-Mae idly began to scrub at the sheet while she too stared up into the trees. The psycho she had seen only an hour or so ago was still fresh in her mind. The way its decaying fingers gripped her wrist without abandon still had her skin crawling. How could a _dead_ person be so strong?  
      “...Laura-Mae?”  
      She sat up straight, looking surprised over in Amy's direction.  
      “Everything alright?” Andrea asked casually and eyed her with a plain yet stern face, as though she already knew the answer and understood well.  
      “Uh, yeah! Just...daydreaming. What's uh... What's up?”  
      Amy didn't skip a beat, still smiling pleasantly. “You've got a dog, right?”  
      “Yeah! Ringo... I was gonna bring her, but... Our walk wound up being pretty long this morning.”  
      Andrea nodded, silent and straight-faced.  
      “Aww, I love dogs! I was starting to think I might not ever see one again.”  
      “Oh yeah? Well... I'll bring her next time, then! She gets a little nervous around new people, but... Usually she's okay around women!”  
      “Awesome! I bet she loves it out here, huh?”  
      “She does! I'd love to let her off-leash more but... She's not ready yet.”  
      “Yeah, better safe than sorry...” Amy broke off, sounding suddenly somber.  
      Leaning back and wringing the sheet between her tiny hands, Laura-Mae let a light laugh lilt into the air. “Couldn’t have picked a prettier place though, huh? I mean talk about a dream vacation!”  
      Andrea smirked over at her, then over to Amy. “Do you usually wash this many clothes on vacation?” Her voice was smooth.  
      Laura-Mae chortled. “Y’know, sometimes it’s hard to pick between seeing the world’s largest pancake or _doing laundry_ .”  
      Andrea scoffed through a grin and shook her head, finishing up the shirt she’d been working on. Her eyes drifted over to her hamper, and Laura-Mae’s followed.  
      “Oh god,” Andrea grimaced. “That’s Dixon laundry isn’t it?”  
      “Yeah,” Laura-Mae looked at the disheveled clothes. “What gave it away? Was it the blood or the dirt? The squirrel guts?”  
      “Something like that. Maybe it’s the desperate testosterone coming off in waves.”  
      “Oh so _that’s_ what that... _pleasant fragrance_ is!” Laura-Mae snickered. “No worries, Andrea. Yet again I’ve got your back!”  
      “Yeah... Thank you.” She looked over at Laura-Mae as she humbly said the words, punctuating them with a sincere and soft smile.  
      “Hey, I’m gonna go start hanging these up, okay?” Amy’s voice was a light lilt, and she gathered up a laundry basket at her waist while she stood. Her head tilted down at Andrea and her golden hair fell over her pearly smile.  
      Andrea only nodded, scrubbing away at a pair of shorts. Laura-Mae lifted up a free hand to wave as she left. The pair watched her for a moment as she started the slow trek up the cliffside. Andrea didn’t hesitate to throw her gaze over to Laura-Mae.  
      “Are you ready for tonight?”  
      Laura-Mae sat up straight, dropping her scrub brush. She fumbled around on the ground for it and cleared her throat.  
      “Uh yeah, yeah, totally! Just... Just gonna be a quick check, y’know?”  
      “...Yeah. A quick check...” Andrea’s full lips pushed a stream of air up onto her forehead. A defiant blonde curl twirled away from her eyes. She slapped the shorts down into a hamper and grabbed up the last shirt she had. Staring down into the washtub she dunked it in.  
      “It’s gonna be alright,” Laura-Mae gently piped up.  
      Andrea’s gaze snapped over to her, bitter at first, then softened. “You really think so?”  
      Pushing a crooked smile over to her, Laura-Mae nodded. “Hell yeah, man! Me ‘n’ Ringo’ve been keeping our eyes peeled for the past week. Only one psycho? Pah. That’s nothin’.”  
      “...I sure hope so.” Although a soft smile still settled on her lips, Andrea’s bright eyes fell back down to the shirt she was working on.  
      “And hey! If we run into anything sketchy, we can just come back to camp. No need to push ourselves.”  
      “No need--?” Andrea’s voice had been firm, but with a brisk nod she corrected herself. “We have to make sure everyone here is safe. _Everyone_ .”  
      Laura-Mae nodded, holding her tongue. Letting her finish.  
      Andrea pushed on. “And if that means putting our necks on the line... I don’t see how that’s wrong.”  
      “It’s not,” Laura-Mae said quickly, keeping her tone calm. “It’s not wrong at all, but... We shouldn’t do anything stupid is all I’m sayin’. _Not_ that we _would_ , but...” Laura-Mae yanked up a pair of boxers from her hamper and pushed them into her washtub before she had time to think on it. “We should do everything to keep ourselves alive so we can _keep_ protecting everyone.”  
      Andrea was wringing out her final shirt by now, sighing.  
      “I guess you’re right. I just... I can’t help but worry.”  
      “I know... I know. You’ve got to keep your sister safe. I get that. So I’ll make sure I’m watching your back out there, okay?”  
      Andrea studied Laura-Mae in silence for a while, then cracked what looked to be a confident smile. “Thanks... Guess I’ll catch you later.”  
      “Y-Yeah! Just meet me at my RV when you’re ready, okay?”  
     “Okay,” she nodded. After a short wave she was following quietly along Amy’s earlier path. Laura-Mae sighed up after her, then shifted her eyes back down to her pile of laundry. She sighed again.

★★★

     Dusk and cricketsong brought three swift knocks on Laura-Mae’s RV door. Ringo perked up at the sound, and Laura-Mae briskly dismissed her before she could let out a growl. She stepped quickly over to the side door and opened it up, taking note of the small crowd outside her vehicle. Stepping down and closing the door behind her, she looked wide-eyed at Andrea, Amy, Dale, and Shane, all with an array of worried looks set upon their faces.  
      Shane was the first to speak, commanding the attention of them all.  
      “So how far you plannin’ on goin’ out again?” His dark eyes shifted briskly over to Laura-Mae, and she fought the urge to gulp.  
      “Uh... Maybe just a mile or two?”  
      “Well is it a mile or is it two? I need to know where to go lookin’ if this goes south.”  
      Andrea and Amy both exchanged anxious glances.  
      Dale piped up with a friendly smile. “I’m sure they’ll be fine, son. Laura-Mae already said they’ll come back if they run into any trouble. Isn’t that right?” He aimed the question at her.  
      Laura-Mae’s eyes flicked over to Andrea, whose sight was waiting intensely for her. She nodded firmly. “Safety is my top priority. You have my word. Both of you... Okay?” She punctuated the more serious statement with a soft and reassuring smile.  
      Shane stroked his broad, stubbled chin and stared down at the ground and shook his head a little.  
      “What you got for protection?” he asked.  
      Andrea spoke up quickly. “I’ve got a gun. A pistol.”  
      “Alright,” Shane nodded.  
      “A... I’ve got a knife, and...and a rifle. Uh... M1 Carbine.”  
      “Shoot,” Shane chuckled, “you sure you know how ta use that thing?”  
      “Yeah. I’m sure.”  
      “Alright. Any sign o’ trouble, you come right back. I’m not tryin’ to lose anyone.”  
      “Got it,” Laura-Mae nodded.  
      Amy and Andrea gave parting words and a hug before Laura-Mae lead the older of the two sisters up into the RV. She gently pushed Ringo away with her leg, making room for Andrea to plop down into the passenger’s seat. Already she was waving out to Amy, and Laura-Mae took the moment to usher Ringo into the back.  
      “Sorry for the third degree,” Andrea said over to Laura-Mae as she sat down and cranked on the engine. “Shane and Dale just kinda... _tagged along_ .”  
      Laura-Mae scoffed a laugh over at her. “It’s all good. Shane’s only scary sometimes.”  
      “ _Scary_ ? More like a total dickhead.”  
      “Pah! I guess you’re right about that one. You know, you really do call ‘em like you see ‘em, huh?”  
      “How else?”  
      “Good point,” Laura-Mae smiled. She focused her eyes onto the dark dirt road, keeping her lights low and her speed slow. Ringo’s claws were already clacking up the linoleum towards the front cab. Andrea cast a worried glance over her shoulder, and seemed to jump a little when Ringo poked her head between the two seats.  
      “Oh! Uh... Good...good doggy,” her voice wavered, and her lips made a shaky smile. Ringo sniffed at her for a second before Laura-Mae was gently pushing her nosy snout away.  
      “Sorry, she uh... She’s good at popping personal bubbles!”  
      “No, it’s uh...” Andrea let the sentiment linger, already leaning away from her a little.  
      “Go on, Ringo. Go lay down!”  
      Pushing out a dismissive sneeze, she turned and paced back to her bed, jumping up into it and laying down.  
      “I, uh... I’m not too good with animals.”  
      “I couldn’t tell,” Laura-Mae grinned. Thankfully Andrea returned the gesture through a relieved sigh. “I get it, though. No problem.” She nodded, setting her sights back on the road.  
      “You two are a package deal though, huh?” Andrea's tone was soft. “It's good you have her... Something to...keep you going, you know?”  
      “Well yeah, that and knowing Marty will be here any day now.”  
      Andrea didn't respond. The air around them grew tensely quiet. Ringo whined from her bed in the back, and Laura-Mae cleared her throat to break the silence.  
      “And hey, you've got Amy, right? Someone to keep safe...”  
      “Right... She... I don't know what I'd do without her.”  
      “I can imagine! I don't... I mean I'm an only child so I can't, like, _completely_ relate? Something tells me there's a big difference between a pet and a sibling.”  
      “Some days,” Andrea chuckled. Laura-Mae returned it happily. “But... She's special. She's...a really good kid.”  
      “She definitely seems like a... Like a good person. Amy really lights up a room, y'know? Or...a tent, I guess I should say.”  
      They both exchanged a laugh while Laura-Mae shifted her focus back onto the road ahead of them once more. Once things had apparently gone too quiet, Andrea spoke up again.  
      “Any reason you haven't really been to camp much?”  
      “Huh? Uh...” A nervous laugh escaped her. “Well I... I'm just shy, I guess.”  
      “Shy, huh? Sure you're not just trying to avoid everyone? I get that.” She nodded to herself, observing her reflection in the passenger side mirror. “But most everyone is...tolerable. Got a few assholes like Ed and the Dixons, but... For the most part it's...peaceful. All things considered.”  
      “Yeah, yeah... I'm sure you're right. I... I dunno, I just... I've always kinda kept to myself. Nothing personal.”  
      “No, of course not. Hey, it's not like the end of the world exactly makes you want to be all buddy-buddy. Even if it has its advantages.” Andrea pushed her fingertips gently against her temple. “What I wouldn't give for some _me_ time back in my apartment, though...”  
      “Yeah... What I wouldn't give to just...be back home with Marty.”  
      It almost got quiet again. But, sounding seemingly reluctant, Andrea responded a little more smoothly this time.  
      “Back in Texas, right?”  
      “Oh, Dale told...you?” As the words left her mouth, the thought crossed Laura-Mae's mind that she had yet to share that particular detail with Dale.  
      “Daryl. Said it might take him a little longer to get here...” She drifted off, staring out the windshield. “...You really think he's coming?” Her tone sounded challenging, but only just.  
      “Of course he is,” Laura-Mae frowned. “Marty and I... We feel the same about each other. I'd do anything to keep him safe. And he... he'd do the same for me.”  
      “It's not a question of him keeping you safe at this point though, is it?”  
      Laura-Mae took her eyes off the road long enough to look over at Andrea, attempting to study her face.  
      Andrea looked back at her evenly.  
      “It’s about keeping himself safe. And making it through _all that_ \-- places like Atlanta...? Or _worse_ ? I just... I don't know...”  
      Laura-Mae took great pause at this. She started to squeeze tightly at the steering wheel.  
      Keeping her tone down, she responded as gently as she could.  
      “I know it's not the same... But if it were you out there... wouldn't you do anything to make sure Amy stayed alive? Isn't that what you said earlier?” She kept her lips tight, forcing them not to quiver. “So why should I think for a second...that my fiance -- my _soulmate_ wouldn't...do the same for me?”  
      Andrea stayed quiet for a moment. She shook her head softly, drooping it down a bit.  
      “I'm sorry,” she said over to Laura-Mae. “I... I shouldn't be...making it any harder on you. I...can imagine it's hard to be waiting for him like this...not knowing where he is or if he's safe. I... I shouldn't have said anything.”  
      “No, Andrea... It's...” Laura-Mae let out a short and heavy breath. “I get it. But... It just seems like...like everyone around here already assumes he's...” She refused to let the word leave her lips. “That he's not coming... Maybe that's why I'm not...super eager to go chat it up with everyone.”  
      “Yeah, that...makes sense.”  
      As though she were just snapping back into reality, Laura-Mae's bare foot pressed firmly against the brakes. Rocks crunched up under the tires of the Travelcraft, the brakes squealing a bit.  
      “This oughta be far enough out, huh?” Laura-Mae tossed the query over at Andrea. “You ready?”  
      After she broke her gaze away from the dark forest, Andrea looked Laura-Mae in the eyes with her chin up, and she nodded evenly.  
      “Cool. Just keep it that way, and everything'll be fine.” After she had taken her keys from the ignition she stood and patted her hip. While Ringo made her excited way over, Laura-Mae started to gear up as had become customary for the duo.  
      “Be a pal and grab my flashlight out of the glovebox,” Laura-Mae said. Andrea popped it open and grabbed the shake-up light out and handed it to her. By the time Ringo was at Laura-Mae’s side, she was ready to clip her leash into its place and adjust its tightness around her waist.  
      “You're bringing it -- uh, her?” Andrea's wide eyes shifted over to Ringo's fluffy frame.  
      “Remember what I said?” Laura-Mae was sure to smile at her. “Everything's cool. Let's keep it that way.”  
      “Right...”  
      “After you!” Laura-Mae gestured to the side door, making room for Andrea while she took hold of Ringo's leash and her flashlight.  
      “ _Right_ .” Andrea made swift progress towards the door. She leaned away from Ringo as she passed her, pressing her back a little against the dinette set. Her shaking fingers pulled the door open and she stepped neatly out of it, followed swiftly by Ringo. Andrea stepped neatly over towards the shoulder of the road and waited for Laura-Mae there.  
      Pacing casually over to her, Laura-Mae snickered.  
      “Don't worry,” she told Andrea in hushed tones, “she doesn't bite.”  
      Andrea offered her a weak smile and a nervous nod.  
      “Would you feel better if she wasn't behind you?”  
      Andrea nodded.  
      “Okay,” Laura-Mae smiled. “Guess we're takin' the lead, girl!”  
      Ringo gave an absent-minded tail wag in response. She pulled a little bit to sniff at Andrea as they passed, but broke off after a light leash tug.  
      “On me, Ringo, on me!” Laura-Mae patted at her hip, and Ringo picked it up to a light trot until she was at her master's side. Silently the pair paced up into the foliage. Laura-Mae threw a headlong glance over her shoulder to make sure Andrea was following. She was, staring with eyes wide all around her.  
     Laura-Mae followed suit. She trained her ears beyond the sound of their foot and pawsteps. Instead she listened to the occasional bird flittering up and away from them as they passed. A cold breeze was whistling through the windshaken trees, and leaves would rustle and twirl in its wake. She was back in the thick of it. But at least this time she had company.


	8. Beast

**EPISODE VIII**

**Beast**

★★★

     The forest floor was cool and forgiving against the bare soles of Laura-Mae’s feet. Her dainty steps trailed neatly and nearly silent behind Ringo, whose curious nose was leading their zig-zagging way through the dusk-dark woods. The dim and quivering beam of Laura-Mae’s shake-up flashlight shone a flickery light on the leaves littered under her path. Finding an opportune time to peel her eyes from the pinecones and twigs she carefully avoided, Laura-Mae whispered to Andrea over her shoulder.  
      “Let’s try not to go too far out, okay? Don’t wanna lose sight of the road.”  
      “Got it.” Andrea’s face was barely backlit from the beam of her own flashlight, a strong and sturdy stream of spotlight pointed off into the shifting, shadowy trees. Her full lips were pulled tightly together in the stern way they did more often than not, yet there was no denying her wide blue eyes paired with her stiff shoulders illustrated her apprehensive fear.  
      Laura-Mae slowed to a stop, and flashed a cheesy grin Andrea’s way.  
      “Hey! You keepin’ it cool back there?” She shined her own flashlight up at herself and made a goofy face, corkscrewing her mouth and crossing her forest-green-brown eyes.  
      A nervous laugh left Andrea sounding admittedly forced, but she at least loosened up a little. The muscles in her shoulders eased and slouched, her knuckles didn’t look so ghost-white against the dark brown handle of her flashlight.  
      “Yeah... Yeah.  _ Cool _ .” She pushed out a sigh through pursed lips and offered Laura-Mae a bright and perhaps overdone smile, as though she were only looking to appease her. She did, and Laura-Mae nodded to herself and continued along behind Ringo who was still so eager to be out and about. Her tail bobbed along, swaying to and fro, and her ears stayed pricked at the sides her furry head. For Ringo this was just another walk through the woods, just another search for the ultimate pissing spot, or a treasure trove of the alluring scent of woodland critters. If something had been lurking in the forest with them, Ringo had yet to hear or smell it. For now that was enough to help Laura-Mae keep her own cool.  
      Andrea’s boots thumped along while she stepped over the thick and tangled roots of an oak that jutted up from the ground. She stepped in line alongside Laura-Mae, and she offered up another polite smile. A politician’s smile.  
      “Think there’s anything out here?” she asked.  
      “Honestly...?” Laura-Mae genuinely ruminated on the question for a handful of seconds before she decidedly said, “Probably not. But...from what I’ve seen -- what you’ve probably seen too -- they like to group up, so...better safe than sorry, y’know?”  
      “Right... And what do we do if we see one?” Her tone sounded as though she were leading Laura-Mae to something, as though she were asking her to solve the simplest of math problems.  
      “Huh? Uh, well... You want, like, a detailed breakdown here, or--”  
      “A quick summary would do just fine,” Andrea sounded almost impatient.  
      “Yeah, uh... Run? Preferably  _ quietly _ .”  
      “...That’s it? Just...run?” Andrea sounded disappointed, let down, deflated like a leftover party balloon.  
      “Well, yeah! You heard what Shane said, right?”  
      Andrea frowned down at her boots and stopped short. Laura-Mae did the same, lightly snapping to get Ringo’s attention so she would stop too.  
      “You took one out earlier today, right?” Andrea asked her. “...You think I can’t do that?”  
      “What? N-no! Uh, I... I mean I’m sure you  _ could _ , but... I-It’s not like it’s easy...or anything...” The sensation of the psycho’s inescapably strong grasp on her wrist still lingered there, feeling faint as a phantom hair tie.  
      “Then why did you do it?”  
      “Wh... Uh... Because...” Laura-Mae shifted awkwardly back and forth on her bare feet, dead leaves crunching lightly under the weight of her. “Because I...I want to keep everyone safe...”  
      “ _ Exactly _ .” Bingo. Andrea sounded pleased. Laura-Mae had finally put two and two together. “So you’re telling me if we see one we’re just gonna leave it? What, and let it sneak up on us while we’re sleeping?”  
      “No, Andrea, I...” Laura-Mae let out an exasperated sigh and her arms fell down at her sides, the on-again-off-again beam of her light following suit. “But... Remember what I said when we were doing laundry? We have to keep  _ ourselves _ safe too... And that means...we go back and tell someone who  _ can _ take care of it as soon as possible.”  
      “So that  _ is _ it, then!” Andrea propped her free hand on her hip, her flashlight’s steady beam falling down to the forest floor beside her and illuminating the toe of her boot that Laura-Mae could feel was just itching to tap with irritation. “You  _ don’t _ think I can handle it.” Her blue eyes were cast angrily off to the side, the light hairs of her blonde brow nearly invisible next to the wrinkles between them.  
      Laura-Mae vehemently shook her head and held one palm up to face her. “That’s not it at  _ all _ !” Her voice rose to a high-pitched and pathetic note. “You’re  _ way _ more capable than me, I’m sure, but... Look...” Laura-Mae had to draw in a deep breath before she could push an even face over to her. “I told Dale I’d keep you safe, okay?”  
      “Figures,” Andrea practically spat. “I can take care of  _ myself _ . I appreciate what you did back in Atlanta, I do. But you’re not the only woman worth her salt around here.”  
      “...Woman worth-- Andrea, what...?” Laura-Mae wasn’t quite sure how to phrase the question that sprang into her mind. And she certainly wasn’t sure what was wrong with Andrea all of the sudden, nor why she seemed to be on the receiving end of it.  
      “ _ All _ the rest of us are stuck back at camp doing  _ laundry _ ...and you get to hang out with your  _ dog _ all day!”  
      “I’m...sorry...?” Laura-Mae scrunched her thick eyebrows up in sincerely surprised confusion. Shane’s stair-side speech from just earlier that morning rang and rattled around inside her mind, and an interesting theory started to prick into the back of it. But Andrea quickly dashed it, speaking louder this time, more angrily.  
      “Maybe if  _ I _ got the chance to prove myself...” She trailed off, her once fiery gaze shifting down to the ground, seeming to sizzle and smolder away on the spot. Laura-Mae pushed out a steadying sigh. Now she  _ really _ got it, the elusive equation hidden off to the side in brackets, not so simple as two and two.  
      “If all you really wanna do is  _ prove yourself _ ,” she told Andrea with a pleasant, friendly smile, “then the three of us getting back to camp in one piece would be a great start.”  
      At first Andrea didn’t say anything, staring steadfast down while her passion and anger dwindled. She took in a few good breaths and then nodded briefly down at her boots before she looked back up at Laura-Mae. At first she scoffed, then her tight lips tugged themselves out and up at their corners.  
      “You’re right,” she said. “Sorry for...” Her statement, her apology was left unspoken, breaking off and drifting away on a cool night breeze.  
      “No, uh... It’s cool man, don’t even worry about it. I... I get it. I’ll start pitching in more.”  
      “Oh,” Andrea sounded exasperated, “no, I didn’t mean that. You’re fine... I was just...letting off some steam, I guess... Been cooped up in camp too long.”  
      Laura-Mae gestured with a flick of her hand for Andrea to follow while she and Ringo picked their earlier pace back up. She clicked her flashlight off and gave it a good shake before she shone it out into the trees again. The beam was a bit more steady this time, but not as much as Andrea’s, practically blinding by comparison.  
      “Being out here’s great, huh?” Laura-Mae mused aloud in a dreamy voice when things had gone quiet between them. “Just the trees and the stars...”  
      Andrea scoffed. “And the bugs and the  _ vermin _ .”  
      “No, Daryl told me he wasn’t gonna be out here, we’re good.”  
      Andrea slapped her free hand over her mouth, quieting her nearly loud laugh.  
      “Not a big fan, huh?” she snickered once she’d regained her composure.  
      Laura-Mae laughed right along. “Nah, he’s cool. Just tryin’ to lighten the mood a little.”  
      “...Thanks.”  
      “Hey, it’s no problem! Bad jokes are, like, my thing.”  
      “I thought having a dog was your thing,” Andrea teased.  
      “Well...that too. I guess...I’ve got a couple of  _ things _ .”  
      “Speaking of,” Andrea looked over at Pixie as though she were eyeing a carnival prize. “Where’d you get  _ that _ thing?”  
      “Oh, Pixie?”  
      “ _ Pixie _ ?”  
      “Yeah! I got ‘er from Marty of course! His old boss gave it to him, and he gave it to me! So...I try to take good care of ‘er.”  
      “Looks like it. How’s it handle?”  
      “Like a  _ dream _ . Got a little kickback, but...damn if she doesn’t feel great to shoot.”  
      “Maybe if we get a chance for target practice you’ll let me see for myself.”  
      “Hell yeah! Where’d you get your pistol?” Laura-Mae’s shining eyes shifted down to the handgun holstered on Andrea’s hip.  
      Her ocean-blue eyes softened, casting a gentle mist-gray above the gentle smile she wore. “My dad. He...wanted me to be safe, you know?”  
      “Yeah, uh...” Laura-Mae averted her gaze, pushing it down at her feet while they stumbled and corrected themselves atop the leaf litter.

     ‘ _ Not now. _ ’

     She pushed a theatrical smile over at Andrea. “That’s what dads are for!”  
     “Yeah... He always looked out for me and Amy. He was never much of a worrywart, but... I guess having kids does that to you.”  
     “Sounds like he was a good dad...a good person... Must be where Amy gets it from, huh?”  
     Andrea chuckled. “Wish I spent a little more time with him before...all this happened.”  
     Laura-Mae cleared her throat, squinting her eyes while she dismissed the vivid memories of standing next to her own dad in that hospital back in Atlanta.

     ‘ _ Would you just  _ **_stop_ ** _? _ ’

     Had she not been looking down, Laura-Mae might have missed Ringo stopping short. Her whole hairy body stiffened and her tail stuck straight up into the air like a big, fluffy white flag. Laura-Mae lifted her flashlight’s flickering beam up into the trees, casting it in a smooth sweeping motion. Andrea stopped just behind them and did the same.  
     “Does she see something?” Andrea asked cautiously, her voice a breathy whisper.  
     Laura-Mae didn’t respond right away. She only held up an index finger and watched Ringo’s body language. Her ears shifted back and a deep, low growl started to rumble her throat.  
     “Lights off,” Laura-Mae whispered, clicking hers off. After a hesitant heartbeat Andrea followed suit, and Laura-Mae could feel her arm brushing up against hers, the hair on it bristling. “Stay cool,” Laura-Mae reassured her, blinking her eyes as she anxiously awaited them adjusting to the murky darkness. At a quick leash tug Ringo quieted herself, though she stayed planted where she was. After the clinking of Ringo’s collar tags settled Laura-Mae could hear Andrea’s breathing getting faster.  
     “Stay _cool_ ,” Laura-Mae whispered more firmly this time.  
     There was a sharp and quick crackle like a tiny thundercrack off in the shadowy foliage. All three sets of their wide eyes shifted towards the noise, and Laura-Mae’s own breathing hastened. Ringo started to growl again, but Laura-Mae hushed her quickly.  
     “Easy, girl...” Her eyelids squinted together, and she listened in vain for another noise. It came again, closer this time.  
     Andrea made a swift movement and, looking over, Laura-Mae caught sight of her pistol’s barrel glimmering in the moonlight.  
     “Hey!” Laura-Mae whispered harshly.  
     “It’s one of them!” Andrea hissed.  
     “We don’t know that yet... Put it away...”  
     “I can handle it!”  
     Laura-Mae frowned and, even to her own surprise, a commanding growl left her. “Put it _away_...”  
     Andrea gave her a shocked yet somehow incredulous look. Slowly and with a grimace, she did as she was told and lowered her weapon.  
     Laura-Mae tiptoed past her and towards the sound. There was another snap and rumble, and Ringo put up a struggle as she had before, flexing her thick claws and planting her paws firmly into the soft dirt below her. Laura-Mae’s breath coming in quicker and quicker, drawing closer and closer, finally she clicked on her flashlight.  
     In the same moment she saw a set of does sprinting away into the dense foliage with a cry, a loud pop rang in her ears. Ringo jumped and pulled back, setting Laura-Mae off balance and stumbling around to regain her footing while she clasped a free hand over a ringing ear. Fighting to right herself, Laura-Mae whirled around to face Andrea with her lips pulled back into an agitated, snaggletoothed snarl.  
     “Are you fucking _kidding_ me?” she snapped the question at her, her frazzled hair falling into her wrath-wrinkled face.  
     “I didn’t mean--” Andrea was shaking her head, looking down at the gun in her shaking hand as though she had never seen it before.  
     “What are you--” Laura-Mae had to stop herself short, biting her tongue and grimacing, spitting down at the ground.  
     Andrea’s once alarmed face shifted easily into a bitterly angered one. “Am I _stupid_? Is that what you mean? _No_.”  
     Laura-Mae clenched her teeth, and stepped briskly over to her until the tips of their noses nearly touched.  
     “You’re right! _I’m_ the stupid one for walking in front of someone who _clearly_ doesn’t know the _first_ goddamn thing about _simple_ gun safety! Even _my_ old man taught me that much!” She held her pale palm out expectantly, clenching her flashlight in a shaking and balled fist so tightly the cheap plastic cracked and the light went out a few times. Andrea gave her another incredulous, indignant sneer. After a moment she slapped her pistol down into Laura-Mae’s hand and rolled her eyes while she crossed her arms over her chest.  
     Still frowning, still glaring burning holes into anything her eyes were set on, Laura-Mae tucked her flashlight under her arm and turned the firearm over in her hand. She was careful to face its barrel -- the bang-bang shooty-shooty end -- _away_ from Andrea, away from anything she didn’t mind putting a hole through. With a simple click she flipped the safety switch, then she shoved it back in Andrea’s direction.  
     “C’mon,” Laura-Mae muttered. “We better get back... If there _were_ any of those things out here, they definitely heard _that_.”  
     With a pouting frown Andrea holstered her pistol and trudged along behind Laura-Mae, back over towards the road.  
     The three of them walked along in stiff silence, Laura-Mae still sneering down at the forest floor, her posture still squared off, adrenaline and anger still rushing through her veins. Once they’d gotten close enough to the dirt road, Laura-Mae heard a motor, and tires skidding to a halt, crunching against the rocks. Both of them were pushing bush branches and tall grass out of their way while they stepped onto the road’s shoulder. Shane and Dale were hopping out of a jeep, firearms in hand and presumably locked and loaded. _Also_ facing away from anyone and everyone, Laura-Mae wanted to point out to Andrea. Instead she held in an irked sigh and bridged the gap between them.  
     Shane didn’t hesitate to snap a quick “What the hell happened?” their way. At first she and Andrea stayed silent, shifting nervous glances at one another as though they were troublesome toddlers caught with a gaggle of squirmy frogs in their pockets. Ringo sat next to Laura-Mae, her tongue lolling from her panting mouth, her fur brushing up against her leg.  
     “I uh... I got a little antsy,” Laura-Mae mumbled. “It wasn’t a psycho, though, so don’t wor--”  
     “ _You_ got a little antsy?” Shane studied her face for fleeting a moment before he scoffed. “What _I_ heard sounded more like a pistol pop.”  
     Laura-Mae looked away from him. Busted.  
     “It was an accident,” Andrea shot a serious and steely glare at Shane. He looked between the both of them before pointing with a thumb back towards Laura-Mae’s RV.  
     “Go on, get back to camp,” he told them, like he was letting them off easy or something. Like they’d committed some inexcusable crime and he was merely giving them a slap on the wrist. “Me and Dale are gonna stick around here for a while. _You two_ oughta let everyone know everything’s okay.”  
     “Right...” Laura-Mae groaned and rubbed absentmindedly at her face, gently guiding Ringo along past them. Dale patted her shoulder before he followed Shane into the woods.  
     Before Laura-Mae could pull open the side door to her RV, Andrea spoke to her.  
     “Wait up...”  
     Laura-Mae turned to face her, trying to hide the dour expression she could practically feel on her face.  
     “Why’d you cover for me?”  
     “...Why?” Laura-Mae shook her head and shrugged. “I don’t know. Something tells me Shane already hates my guts. Guess I was just telling him what I thought he wanted to hear.”  
     Andrea scoffed behind a wry smirk.  
     “If it makes you feel any better...I think Shane hates everyone’s guts... Anyway... Whatever the reason...thanks. Sorry again for...”  
     “Almost _shooting me_?” Laura-Mae forced something of an impish grin, but the agitation was still apparent in her tone.  
     “Right.”  
     “It’s... Just... Be careful next time, okay? Keep that safety on. And _don’t_ aim it at anything you don’t intend to kill.” Punctuating the serious sentiment with a swift nod, Laura-Mae pulled the side door open and stepped up into the RV right after Ringo. After her leash was unclipped, she trotted over to the back and started to lap at her water bowl. Laura-Mae unloaded her gear and slumped down into the driver’s seat as if she had been out in the forest for the better half of a decade. Not allowing herself a moment to rest, to collect herself, she revved the engine to life. Andrea’s face was still as she sat, clipping her seatbelt into place and leaning her head against the window.  
     The drive back up to camp was a quiet one. Once Laura-Mae had pulled into her usual parking space Andrea was already up and out of her seat.  
     “Don’t worry about going to camp,” she said with a gentle and tired smile. “I’ll take care of it.”  
     Laura-Mae cleared her throat and stood up to follow her towards the door. “Uh, thanks... And I’m sorry too, by the way. I...I shouldn’t have snapped at you like I did.”  
     “No, I... I get it... Safety’s on.”  
     Laura-Mae leaned out of the doorway and watched after Andrea as she strolled down the road at a steady and brisk pace. The thick soles of her boots made a crunch, crunch, crunching sound as she went. The blonde ponytail on the back of her head bounced and swayed side to side, glittering in the glimpses of moonlight it caught trickling between the high pine branches. Laura-Mae expelled an exhausted sigh once Andrea had faded into the dark of night, and she shifted her tired eyes up into the starry sky. Spotting a silhouette in the woods just across the road from her, she did a startled double take.  
     Daryl came stepping out onto the grassy edge of the dirt, twirling a long blade of grass between his fingers.  
     “Oh, hey!” Laura-Mae beamed a bright grin over at him.  
     “Y’alright?”  
     “Yeah, yeah... Everything’s okay. Just uh... We were both a little on edge.” Laura-Mae shut the door behind her and stepped down the three metal steps and onto the cold dirt road, crossing her arms loosely over her chest as a chilly gust raced past them.  
     “Anything out there?” Daryl asked.  
     Laura-Mae sighed and smiled over at him. “Just a couple deer. What else?”  
     Daryl nodded, looking away from her and down at the road. A silence fell between them, and Laura-Mae lightly kicked her foot, the bare sole brushing against the soft dirt.  
     All at once she flashed him a cheesy grin. “Hey, ain’t it past your bedtime?”  
     “Tch.” Daryl casually tossed the piece of grass he’d been twiddling down onto the ground. “You ‘n’ your damn jokes.”  
     “Yep, that’s me! Laugh not to cry!” She winked and shot a couple of finger guns at him, at which he promptly rolled his eyes. “Oh, hey!” Laura-Mae stood upright as though she’d just been startled by a bright idea. “You gonna go hunting again tomorrow morning?”  
     “...Mhm.”  
     “Sweet! Can me and Ringo come with you?”  
     “You gonna be _makin’ jokes_ the whole time?”  
     She smiled and pretended to think on it tapping a finger against her chin. “...Maybe not the _whole_ time.”  
     Daryl scoffed and shook his head. “Whatever. Just don’t slow me down.”  
     “Right-o!” She saluted him, and he crossed his arms over his chest, glowering, moody. “Well... Guess I’m gonna get some sleep. See ya bright and early!”  
     “Sure. Night.”  
     “Goodnight!” Laura-Mae’s tone was cheery. Maybe almost _too_ cheery. She watched after him a moment as he lumbered into the foliage, back towards his and Merle’s getaway campfire. Their own private home away from home away from home. And then, with a long sigh, a heavy sigh of exhausted finality, Laura-Mae turned and walked back up into her RV. What a long, tiresome, eventful day it had been.  
     Ringo had already curled up on her freshly cleaned sheet, her tail just visible past the wooden partition, hanging off the bed like a large and limp feather. Laura-Mae nodded to herself, smiling softly at the familiar and comforting sight, and crawled up onto her own bed. As she lay down, her back popped in a few places, and she couldn't fight the urge to stretch her arms and legs out as far as they could go. Her fingertips and toes brushed against the cab walls and she drew in a deep and satisfying breath that filled her lungs and made her tingle pleasantly all over. Her bleary sight blinked up at her glow-in-the-dark galaxy, and all felt right in the world. Well...almost, anyway.  
     Tracing a finger along a plastic constellation, memories of Marty marched right on into her mind's eye as they always had. Her sleepy smile pulled slowly down into an exhausted frown, and she felt as though she were sinking down into her mattress. Turning onto her side, Laura-Mae curled herself into a tight ball and hugged her comforter up under her chin.

     ' _ Oh, Marty... What I wouldn't give for you to just... _ **_show up_ ** _ right now. _ ’

     There was a brisk knock on the Travelcraft’s side door. Ringo, still deep asleep, her legs kicking and her paws twitching, she hadn't even noticed. But Laura-Mae, caught somewhere between tired reality and the pining dreamworld of slumber, thought perhaps her yearning mind had only fabricated the sound. Yet, there it was again. Three short knocks, right on beat with the three before it.

     ' _ Yeah right... _ ’

     Her heart began to flutter and her mind began to race. With a mixture of hesitation and restrained excitement she dropped quietly down from her bed and tiptoed to the door. Her breathing quickened, her heart pulsed, pounded, slapped against the back of her sternum. And then, pulling the door slowly open, she was met with Dale's tired but smiling face. A heavy breath escaped her, and she could only hope she had hidden the disappointment on her face better than she had in her slumped-down shoulders.  
     “Didn't wake you up, did I?” Dale's bushy eyebrows were high up above his pointed nose.  
     “No, no...” Laura-Mae pushed a weak and friendly smile at him. Her eyes gazed just beyond his shoulder.  
     “Just me,” he reassured her. “We couldn't find anything out there... I wanted to stop by and check in on you, though. I know it's been a while since my last visit.”  
     “That's cool, man. Everyone's been busy.” She pulled the door open wide, gesturing with a sweeping and upturned palm for him to come in. He did, taking his hat off when he passed through the doorway. After she had closed the door behind him, Laura-Mae sat down at the dinette table and pushed Ringo's leash off to the side up under the window. Dale followed suit, plopping his hat down on the table between them. Once they'd both settled, Laura-Mae with her fingers laced neatly on the tabletop and him scratching at his bushy gray beard while he looked around, he finally cast her a friendly grin.  
     “I really appreciate you looking out for Andrea back there.”  
     “No problem, man! I told ya I'd do what I had to.”  
     “You didn't have to try and cover for her.”  
     “Yeah, well...” Laura-Mae slumped down in her seat a little. Dale gave her a worried glance, but waited for her to finish her thought. While she searched for her words her still-laced fingertips dug into the valleys of her knuckles. “You seem to be good at reading people... So... What do you think -- does Shane totally hate me or what?”  
     “Or _what_!” He responded quickly. “What on Earth would make you think that?”  
     “Ah, just...a feeling, I guess. To be fair, I never really talked to him much before today...”  
     Dale leaned across the table to give her hands a reassuring pat. “You just caught him on a bad day. We're all a little on edge right now. Especially with one of... _those things_ getting so close.”  
     “Yeah... Yeah, I get that.”  
     “We're all lucky you were out there this morning.”  
     Laura-Mae finally looked up at him, her lips a little slack and her cheeks flushing.  
     “Nah,” she finally laughed, “Daryl would've found it if I didn't...”  
     “But he didn't. You _did_. And believe it or not, Shane _does_ realize that. And he appreciates it, even if he doesn't outright say it.”  
     “...You...really think so?”  
     “Of course! We'd all be at a loss without you here, Laura-Mae.”  
     She rolled her eyes and smirked. “Now _that's_ not true. But...thanks. I, uh...” A strange lump started to form in her throat. After clearing it away and pushing out another nervous chuckle she added, “I really needed that today.”  
     Dale shook his head. “Don't be so hard on yourself. All of us are just doing the best we can with this. And we're all pitching in in our own ways...whether it's patrolling or...”  
     “Doing laundry,” she grinned. “That's my _favorite_.”  
     He snickered, but kept a serious air about him nonetheless. “Every little bit helps,” he said. “And you _are_ helping.”  
     “...Thanks, Dale.”  
     “Thank _you_ , Laura-Mae.” With one last pat on her hand, Dale grabbed up his hat and plopped it onto his balding head. “I'll let you get some sleep. Who knows? Maybe tomorrow's the day Marty's finally gonna get here.”  
     “ _Finally_ is right,” she forced a laugh. By the time Dale had gotten up Ringo was awake and making her way from the back. Her tail wagged lazily while she stretched out her toothpick-thin back legs. Dale scratched behind her ear and she licked his wrist.  
     “See you later, Ringo,” he smiled down at her. “You take care of your mom, now!”  
     Ringo gave an excited little cry in response. After a final wave at Laura-Mae he swung the door open and pulled it to a close behind him. Ringo let out another whine and went to sniff at the sides of it. Despite Laura-Mae's sheer exhaustion, a placid smile was on her lips.

     ‘ _ How... How nice of him... Sure hope he's right about Shane though. _ ’

     Pushing her palms against the table, Laura-Mae stood up. Ringo padded slowly over, and Laura-Mae fixed the side of her hair she'd so clearly been sleeping on. The dog shook out her fur, adjusting it into a wild and goofy mane, a big cotton-ball puff. And with a brisk sneeze, she was walking back to her bed.  
     “Yeah, yeah. Goodnight ol’ girl.”  
     Ringo's claws scrabbled and she jumped and then thumped down onto the mattress.  
     For the second time that night Laura-Mae followed her lead, and pulled herself back up into her own bed. After the long, tiresome, eventful day she had had, it was easy to get lost in a pleasant blur of memories and thoughts, pulling her gently into the warm embrace of her dreams.


	9. 15 Step

**EPISODE IX**

**15 Step**

★★★

     Crisp, cold dew clung to the branches and the blades of grass along their path. The morning moisture would collect against the goosebumped flesh of Laura-Mae’s legs until it was trickling in chilly streams down to her ankles. Ringo plodded alongside her with her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth and her tail in a big straight plume behind her. The sunlight that filtered in through the tree branches above them glittered in her chocolate-brown eyes, just visible under her twitching, furry eyebrows.  
      Daryl kept his crossbow casually drawn from where he paced a few feet ahead of them. From time to time he would use his free hand to push stray branches and bushes out of the way. His and Laura-Mae’s conversation had been nearly non-existent for the better part of that morning, save for him occasionally stopping to point out a set of tracks or a pile of droppings. Despite the numerous and assuredly _terrible_ poop jokes that popped into her head, Laura-Mae had managed to keep them all to herself. The last thing she wanted was a repeat of their last outing. No. She wanted to _learn_ . And if that meant no joking around then so be it.  
      “Here,” he said gruffly as he came to a stop just beside a sprung trap. Nothing in it, but it would have to be reset regardless. Laura-Mae guessed by him pointing to it, but not resetting it himself, that would be her job.  
      “Right.” With tight lips and a tight-knitted brow she knelt down next to the wire and started to adjust it and the branches it was tied to.  
      “Like this?” She asked over her shoulder.  
      “Smaller,” he said.  
      “Right, right...” Nodding to herself, she studied the loop while she adjusted it, envisioning a wiry and famished rabbit squeezing through its frame. Ringo sniffed curiously at the sturdy twigs jutting up from the ground until Laura-Mae waved her away.  
      “Good,” Daryl nodded. “Let's go check the other one. Then we'll get some squirrels if we can find 'em.”  
      “What, here in Georgia?” Laura-Mae was already wincing. “Sor-- Uh...”  
      “S'alright. Just can't help yourself can ya?”  
      “I've been trying!” Laura-Mae frowned and squinted one eye closed against a bright ray of sun that peered over his shoulder.  
     “I know. C'mon.” His face silhouetted in shadow, Laura-Mae couldn’t tell if it was a smirk she saw on his face. He turned away from her without another word and pressed on, pushing branches and bushes out of his way as he had been. Lifting an eyebrow, she stared after him. Laura-Mae stayed where she was with her knees pressed into the dew-wet dirt and her hair falling over an eye as she looked over her shoulder. It wasn't until Ringo walked past her and tugged on the leash that Laura-Mae finally stumbled to stand up and follow.

     ' _Guess he's in a better mood today. What luck!_ ’

     Laura-Mae was glad Daryl had his back turned to her, or else he might have been disappointed in the mischievous grin spread across her face. Her stumbling steps shifted into a kind of snarky swagger and she brushed the dirt from her knees before she slapped her hands against each other with a quiet clap.

     ' _I might even get to bag a couple of squirrels! They'll be like “Aw_ **_nuts_ ** _!”_ ’

     A snort escaped her, and she promptly slapped a hand over her mouth, hoping Daryl hadn't heard.

     “Must've been a good one,” he said, not even bothering to look back at her.  
     After holding her breath for one or two ashamed moments, she finally shook her head and let her arms fall to her sides.  
     “It really wasn't,” she said.  
     Daryl didn't respond, only continuing to trudge along. As the dead leaves of the forest floor dried in the rising, warming sun, they began to break and crackle under his boots. They climbed with steep steps to crest a small rise and he stopped to rest up against a tree. He leaned a shoulder against it and when he looked over at Laura-Mae the green of the leaves around him reflected neatly in his blue eyes.  
     “What were you before all this anyway? A _comedian_ or somethin’?” He held his crossbow loosely with one dangling arm, and shoved his free hand into his pocket.  
     Laura-Mae, struck by the question, was hit with the sudden realization that she, like everyone else in the world, was fresh out of a job.

     ' _Not like I really had one in the first place..._ ’

     “I, uh...” She softly smiled down at her feet and nodded at them, but with every bob of her head her lips pulled further and further into a frown. “I... I didn't really...do anything.” When Daryl said nothing and didn’t move, didn’t turn his back to leave like he usually did, Laura-Mae looked up at him. Daryl was studying her with a blank but somehow inquisitive expression. He looked like he was trying to run through her words in his mind with a fine-toothed comb. To try and find some kind of hidden meaning there.  
     She let out a weak chuckle. “I was...an artist. A freelancer. Just...joking myself into thinking my art was worth any money. But really... Marty took care of me...did all the _real_ work.”  
     Daryl stayed quiet. After he'd been staring at her for so long, still looking like he was trying to put together some kind of puzzle, Laura-Mae could only manage another nervous laugh, and to shift her eyes away from his.  
     A low and long whistle drifted through the forest, bouncing from trunk to trunk until it reached them. All three of their heads swiveled its way, Laura-Mae and Ringo stiffening.  
     “It's Merle,” Daryl was quick to inform her. “That other trap can wait. C'mon.” He picked up a quick and purposeful pace towards camp. Laura-Mae and Ringo followed briskly, leaving their conversation behind them. Laura-Mae was glad for that.

     ' _Not like I've had any time to..._ **_create_ ** _anything anyway... Not like stupid shit like that...even matters anymore._ ’

     But somewhere deep down inside of her she felt a physical pang of pain. How could she have virtually forgotten something that had once been so vital to her existence -- something that had fueled her, that had given her purpose when nothing else did?

     ' _Had more important shit to worry about. Everyone has. And_ **_before_ ** _I had to worry about..._ ’

     The hospital in Atlanta flashed into her mind along with her dad's sorrowful expression. She shook her head and dismissed the thought as quickly and as firmly as she could. To her good fortune the trio had come across Merle within a short handful of minutes. He had been shooting a steely glare into the forest, but once he'd made eye contact with Laura-Mae he gave her a half-lidded smile.  
     “Elly May! What you doin’ out here with my baby brother, huh?”  
     “Hey Merle,” she gave him a genuine grin. Somehow she was happy to see the red-faced bastard. “Just learnin’ a thing or two about hunting.”  
     “Aw shoot, _I_ could teach you all about that! Better than _Darylina_ here!”  
     “You can't even get my name right, dude,” she chuckled. He gave her what looked to be a sincerely confused look. “ _Laura_ -Mae? 'Member?”  
     “Damn, what've I been sayin’?”  
     “Don't worry about it... Say, you wouldn't happen to be a big Beverly Hillbillies fan, would ya?”  
     A jovial grin spread onto his thin lips. “How'd you know?”  
     “Just a sneaking suspicion,” she smirked up at Daryl.  
     Straight-faced, he shifted a serious question to Merle. “What'd you want?”  
     “Huh?” Merle glanced over as though he was only just now noticing him. “Oh! Shane's callin’ a meetin’. Said he needs everyone there.”  
     “What, really?” Laura-Mae shifted a nervous glance past his shoulder. “Hope everything's okay.”  
     “I dunno...” Merle scratched at his chin and his short stubble made a noise like gritty sandpaper. “Sounded like he had a big ol’ stick shoved up his ass.” He grinned. “But that ain't no different than usual, huh?” A boisterous laugh erupted from him, and Laura-Mae nervously joined in. Daryl, of course, did not. He only stared over Merle’s shoulder and towards camp.  
     “Well come on then, _crybaby_ ,” Merle walked over to slap at his back. “Let's go see what the boss-man wants. Go on. _You_ lead the way.”  
     Daryl shifted a glance between him and Laura-Mae, and then wordlessly started the quick trek back to the quarry. Just as Laura-Mae had been reluctantly expecting, and preemptively regretting, Merle slipped back to walk beside her.  
     “Ain't seen you around much, _Laura_ -Mae! You been hidin’ away from me?” He gave her an overdone frown and a cartoonishly pathetic voice.  
     “Nah,” she smiled over at him, barely, “just been so busy waitin’ on my _fiance_ is all!”  
     “Pah! _Fiance_. I'm startin’ to think that ring o’ yours is just for show.”  
     “Yeah, that'd be nice! Then I wouldn't have to be worried sick all the time, y'know? But _alas_...”  
     Merle shoved his hands into his pockets. “Well you weren't lyin’ about that dog you got... What's his name?”  
     “Her name's Ringo,” Laura-Mae smiled softly over at her. At the sound of her name Ringo's ears perked up, but she paced right along behind Daryl with her head hung low.  
     “Ringo! Like the drummer?”  
     “The one and only! She's got the big nose, so...”  
     Merle let out a loud laugh. “You right about that! Ain't seen a bigger nose on any Jew twice his size!” His laughter continued and he threw his head back and freed a hand from his pocket to slap at his knee. Laura-Mae winced. Her eyes flicked up to the top of his semi-shaved head, and a troubling thought crossed her mind. Looking back over at Daryl, she had to stop herself from shaking her head.  
     There was little time left to dwell on it though, as within only another handful of minutes they were stepping down the road and into the clearing. A large crowd had gathered in front of Shane, staggered and haggard.  
     “A'ight boss-man! I found 'em!” Merle called out, drawing the swift gaze of nearly every staggered and haggard camper. Their expressions were a wide array of alarmed and annoyed, some of them with their arms crossed, some blocking the sun from their eyes with a downturned palm. Laura-Mae caught herself unintentionally hiding behind him, stopping just short of the brothers.  
     Shane shot a sneering glance the tiny group’s way, crossing his arms over his broad chest. Merle was already striding over to the outskirts of the group, and Daryl followed after him. With some hesitation Laura-Mae did the same, Ringo pulling her along as she stayed close behind Daryl.  
     “Now that we’re all here,” Shane’s voice was thinly layered with agitation, “let’s get this done.” The campers gave him their sole attention, and Laura-Mae’s anxiety was starting to crawl all over her, itching like sweat pricking through her pores. Dale was standing just beside Shane, with an expression on his face Laura-Mae couldn’t quite put a finger on. Was he agitated? Concerned? Whatever it was, it looked as though he was trying to hide it.  
     After clearing his throat, Shane continued. “Yesterday we had one straggler -- a sick person about two miles outside camp.”  
     Instantly there was a murmur within the group. It sounded like the beginning of a summer shower, begging to swell to a terrified typhoon. Shane continued quickly on. “Now we’ve taken care of it already, and Dale and I have scoped out the whole perimeter thoroughly and found nothing. That being said...we’re not prepared to risk anyone here. Your safety is our top priority.”  
     Laura-Mae pouted down at her curling toes and she crossed her arms over her chest.

     ‘ **_They_ ** _took care of it? Jeez. I don’t need an award or anything, but..._ ’

     She shook her head.

     ‘ _No... No, it’s fine. That’s not what it’s about. Everyone’s alright... That’s all that matters._ ’

     “So we’re going to start doing some patrols,” Shane said. “Every morning, every night, in groups of two or three. It’s a simple enough task, and I’m sure there are more than a few of you ready to stretch your legs and get outta camp. Now... We’re not askin’ you to kill anything you come across. All you’d have to do -- _if_ you see anything -- is just come back to camp and let me and Dale deal with it. Now!” Shane adjusted his posture to stand a little straighter, a little taller. “All we need...is some able-bodied volunteers.”  
      No one reacted. They only than cast worried glances between themselves. Albeit sheepishly, slowly, Laura-Mae raised her trembling hand up into the air. Andrea was next, and then a few more. An odd feeling started to swell up inside of Laura-Mae at the sight of so many hands lifting into the air. It was something like pride mixed with... _excitement_ . She caught a sideways smirk on Shane’s face, and he nodded.  
      “Alright! Good... Andrea, Glenn... Morales...” He kept listing off name after name, gathering up a small and sturdy group that made their way through the crowd and up towards him. And then, finally, he was done, and he spoke to the group standing in front of him in hushed tones. Laura-Mae brought her numb hand down and frowned, her chin quivering and her cheeks growing warm. Of all the names he had called, hers had not been one of them.  
      “C’mon,” Daryl said to her, slapping lightly at her shoulder. He pulled himself away from the clearing, and back out onto the road. Shooting one last defiant glare at Shane, Laura-Mae followed after Daryl with balled up fists. Ringo whined a little while she trotted along after them.  
      “I don’t understand!” Laura-Mae said as soon as they were out of earshot, her voice shaking. “Why... What did I ever do to him anyway?” Anger and sadness were both fighting for dominance, along with a dash of embarrassment for good measure. They bubbled up into her guts and her chest, and she was light-headed at the feeling.  
      “Don’t mean nothin’,” Daryl spoke softly. “Ain't like you need his permission to do what you been doin’ this whole time.”  
      “Y-Yeah, but...” Laura-Mae’s head slumped down between her slouching shoulders. Ringo pushed her wet nose against her hand and yanked her nose back to toss it onto her head. With a steadying breath, Laura-Mae ran her fingers through her fur.  
      “Don’t let him get under your skin.”  
      “ _How_ am I supposed to not--” Laura-Mae pushed out an aggravated sigh through pursed lips, as though one good puff of air might get rid of it all. “No... No, you’re right...” Her conversation with Dale from the night before flickered up into her mind, and she frowned. “I’m sure... I’m sure there’s a reason...”  
      “Whatever it is, it don’t matter... Just forget it. Let's go check that other trap, c'mon.” Daryl jerked his chin in the direction of the forest, and was just going to turn and leave before she could protest. But she did protest.  
      “No, I, uh..." At the sound of her voice, her somber and far-away tone, Daryl stopped short. "I think I’m gonna...head back to my RV.”  
      He was quiet, but nodded and started to chew at his bottom lip.  
      “I’ll catch you later...” Laura-Mae didn’t bother to wait for a response from him. Instead she only slogged a few heavy steps past him with her head hung low, looking defeated. Ringo pulled along behind her, and the pair of them made it to the Travelcraft in a matter of minutes.  
     Once she’d shut the door behind them, a sob choked into Laura-Mae’s throat. She squeezed her eyelids tightly shut in a poor attempt to dismiss it.

     ‘ _You know why he doesn’t want you out there... Because you’re_ **_worthle_ ** _\--_ ’

     “Stop it!” Laura-Mae snapped, grabbing two fistfuls of hair and slumping down onto the couch.

     ‘ _Dale was only pitying you. Stupid old man._ ’

     Laura-Mae grunted, clenching her teeth. “Just... _stop_!”

     ‘ _Look at you. Having a little hissy fit all on your own._ **_Nobody cares_ ** _._ ’

     A long and sorrowful breath escaped her, and her once tight fists loosened. “...I know... I know...” she said, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her trembling knees. “You’re right...”  
     Ringo whined and hauled herself onto the couch with her to give her cheek a tentative lick with her tail timidly wagging at its tip. Laura-Mae dismissed her, nudging her gently away with an elbow and curling up into herself even more. Like she might disappear if she tried hard enough. Ringo slinked her drooping body off the sofa and took some steps towards the back before her leash tugged at Laura-Mae’s waist.  
     Sitting up with muted surprise, Laura-Mae looked down at the lilac leash still tied tightly around her hips.  
     “Sorry, girl,” she mumbled while she leaned over to unclip it from Ringo’s collar. Ringo wagged her tail a little, and let out a couplet of concerned cries. Laura-Mae ignored her and stared down at the floor while she made slow and lazy work of untying the leash from around her and tossing it onto the table across from her.  
     “I’ll be alright... Just...go lay down, okay?”  
     Reluctantly Ringo obeyed, slumping back towards her bed. Laura-Mae pushed her puckered face into her hands and did her damndest to ignore the lump trying to knot together in her throat.

     ‘ _You know Shane’s right too. You’re totally useless. Just taking your dog on a walk every day, like that actually_ **_helps_ ** _. Why even kid yourself? All you’re doing is wasting everyone’s time. You should just--_ ’

     “ _No_ !” Her voice was a shrill shout. She wouldn’t hear it. She absolutely refused to listen to that voice, her _own_ voice, tell her what it always wound up telling her. It _wasn’t_ true, no matter how many times the voice said it. Laura-Mae stood up and started to pace on the floor between the sofa and the dinette table. Her feet slapped loudly against the linoleum, and her face was wrinkled with the weight of a heavy frown.  
      “ _All_ the work I’ve done... That’s... That’s _not_ for nothing! I...I _am_ valuable to these people... I...” She sniffled, her lips trembling.

     ‘ _Whatever you need to tell yourself. But you know the truth._ ’

     Within moments she was consumed by sobs, slumping down and hunched over with her knees on the floor, propping her pathetic self up with arms that felt like jelly. Her teeth were clenched so hard they started to itch, and hot tears made fast and easy trails down the bridge of her crinkled nose to gather and drip from its tip down onto the floor.

     ‘ _You're absolutely pathetic._ ’

     “I _know_ !” She shouted aloud, miserably. Grunting and growling like some kind of angry animal, with the side of her fist she beat on the floor until her hand was throbbing with pain. “I know, I know, I know...” The words left her quivering lips, cracking between the tears, and she finally leaned over to hug herself while the split ends of her frizzy hair gathered dust as it pooled on the floor in front of her. “I shouldn’t even...be here... Why... _Why_ am I here?”  
      Ringo’s claws clicked rapidly up to her, a song of sorrow whistling through her big, wet nose. Laura-Mae’s chest was heaving, her breath coming to her with more difficulty than it had in a long while, hot and humid in the tight, dark space between her knees and the floor and her hair. The muscles in her back and stomach started to twitch, and Ringo’s whining seemed to be echoing all around her.  
      “Go away! Just leave me _alone_!” Laura-Mae finally yelled down into her knees while she hugged herself tighter, drew into herself even more. Ringo fell quiet, and her claws clicked slowly away. To where, Laura-Mae wasn’t sure. And in that moment she didn’t exactly care, either. It took every bitter bit of her energy to fight off the voice in her head that kept right on belittling her with insult after insult. She felt as though she were strapped to a chair, being pelted with sharp and jagged stones. And she was the one throwing them.

★★★

     With a shiver shuddering through her, Laura-Mae's eyelids snapped open. Dried tears lingered in the corners of her eyes, and her back ached and creaked as she sat up. A groan escaped her and she rubbed at the back of her neck while she pieced together where she was and how she'd gotten there. How long had she been asleep?  
     Cicadas screeched from beyond her RV's walls, and another shiver rippled down her spine. Pitch black swallowed her up, and the first thing she could make out was her glowing galaxy. Her heart fluttered at the sight, and she bumbled around to crawl towards it. Feeling her way around, bumping her knee once against the dinette table, she finally pulled herself up into her bed, and wrapped her blanket tightly around herself.

     ‘ _Slept the whole day away, did I? Not like it matters... I doubt anyone even noticed..._ ’

     A loud growl rumbled up from her stomach and she shook from under her chilly blanket. Her memories drifted back to a week prior, her first “real” night at camp. She wondered if maybe there was a big, warm fire in the heart of the clearing again.

     ‘ _Of course there is... And I'm not invited. Why would I be? It's so clear...no one wants me here..._ ’

     Most days a nice, long nap would do a good job of pushing all her troubles away. By the time she would wake up she would have nearly forgotten why she was so upset in the first place. Tonight, however, it had been no use, and certainly not on purpose. From the back of her mobile home Laura-Mae could hear Ringo's stomach growling, sounding like an ornery cat was trying to claw its way out of her.  
     Laura-Mae's troubled gaze shifted to the see-through container of Ringo's food, only about a quarter full at this point. Even only giving her half-portions, her supply was rapidly vanishing. Still, she had to eat.  
     Now that Laura-Mae's eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and the moonlight was filtering in through the windshield, she easily made her way to the back. Popping open the container, Laura-Mae scooped a whole cup and dumped it into Ringo's bowl. The kibbles clinked around in the ceramic dish and Ringo shuffled around in her bed, her big and bumbling paws pulling her down to the floor and towards her food. She shifted her fur-covered eyes up at Laura-Mae and tentatively wagged her tail. Laura-Mae's heart panged at the recent memory of yelling at the poor girl.  
     “I know... I'm sorry, Ringo...” Laura-Mae cupped Ringo’s face in her hands and kissed her on her furry forehead. Once Laura-Mae had let go, Ringo's mouth fell open into a smiling pant. She stepped past her, and slid herself down into her usual eating position, her bony elbows giving off a fur-muffled thump as they hit the floor.  
     Laura-Mae rubbed at her arms and looked back out her windshield, back at that cursed and empty road that stretched into the dark horizon.

     ‘ _He’s not coming. He never was. You know that._ ’

     Somewhat stubbornly, Laura-Mae’s lips screwed into a tight frown. That stupid and nagging voice was _not_ going to win. Not like this.  
      “Be back a little later, okay girl?”  
      Ringo kept eating, crunching loudly as she looked over her shoulder at Laura-Mae.  
      “Get some good sleep. You earned it.”  
      Ringo went right on crunching, and Laura-Mae managed to smile at her. After watching her for a few more moments she walked quiet as she could out the side door.  
      A chilled breeze blustered through her, but she didn't let it bother her. The Dixon campfire was a flickering orange and red dot nestled neatly in dark and wind-blown tree trunks. Laura-Mae’s feet carried her listlessly towards it, like it was some kind of mirage oasis in an endless desert. This time she was wise enough to announce her presence. She pursed her lips and softly whistled once she had gotten close enough to make out a shadowed figure beside the fire.  
      At the sound of her whistle Daryl sat up straight and looked towards her. She stepped through the last bit of trees and into the little clearing, waving at him with a weak smile.  
      “Fancy meetin’ you here,” she said. “Mind if I join ya?”  
      Daryl shook his head and waited for her to sit down in the same spot she had the last time they met there.  
      “Where's Merle?” Laura-Mae asked, pretending she actually wanted to know the answer.  
      “...On patrol,” he sounded a little reluctant.  
      “Ah... Of course.”  
      “Where you been?”  
      “Huh? Oh, I...” She laughed weakly. “I fell asleep. Didn't wake up 'til just a few minutes ago, actually.”  
      Daryl nodded but said nothing, looking back down at his boots.  
      Laura-Mae hugged her arms around her knees, pulling them close to her. She rested her cheek on them, and closed her eyelids. The fire wrapped her up into a big, warm hug, and the crackling of the kindling put her soul at ease same as it did the last time. Taking in a deep breath through her nose, she relished the smell of the burning wood, and her breathing became calm and steady. The silence between them was sweet, and she cherished it. But when in the next moment Daryl broke the silence, she didn't mind it so much.  
      “Ain't had anything to eat?”  
      “Hmm? Um...” Laura-Mae sat up and awkwardly rubbed at her shins. “I've still got some stuff back at the RV.”  
      “Here.” Daryl leaned to the side, and when he sat up he had a paper plate in his hand. He reached forward to extend it out to her. “Figured you might be comin’ out this way.”  
      “Thanks...” Laura-Mae took the plate from him, and studied the stringy strips of cooked meat that rested on it. “Am I that predictable?”  
      Daryl's lips twisted into a smirk. “I didn't say it.”  
      “Oh, so it's true!” Laura-Mae grinned. “Okay, okay... Well _you're_ so predictable...I bet _this_ ...is squirrel meat, huh?”  
      Daryl scoffed.  
      “It is!”  
      “So?”  
      She snickered. “So you managed to find some, did ya?”  
      “Surprised?” He smiled, just barely.  
      “No...” She eyed the plate and thought back to their morning trek through the woods. When she finally looked up at him, her eyes sparkled against the firelight. “Were they like 'aw nuts’?”  
      He stared at her with a straight face. In the next moment he cracked a smirk and lightly shook his head “You were right. That _is_ a bad one.”  
      Laura-Mae chuckled for a second before she regained her composure. “ _Anyway_ ... I appreciate it. Never had squirrel before, y'know?”  
      “Figures. City girl like you probably ain't even had any good venison.”  
      “I have too!” Laura-Mae didn't give herself time to think about shoving one of the strips of meat into her mouth. She pushed it quickly into her cheek, chewing it up before she could taste it. “My uncle can make a mean string of deer sausage, okay?”  
      “Tch. What about rabbit?”  
      “Uh...” Laura-Mae looked off to the side.  
      “I knew it.”  
      “ _So_ ?” Laura-Mae swallowed down the squirrel meat, trying to hide a grimace. Even though her taste buds weren't exactly satisfied, her stomach certainly was. “Whatever it is, I appreciate the hospitality...even if I gotta deal with a smartass like you.”  
      Daryl scoffed and leaned back, propping himself on a palm.  
      “Did I miss anything big today?”  
      “Nah. More o’ the same. 'Cept for a couple o’ folks stumblin’ around out in the woods like they never been outside before. Least when you go sneakin’ around you're quiet about it.”  
      “ _Sneaking_ ? You're the sneaky one! Watchin’ me while I struggle with a psycho.”  
      “Somethin’ tells me these ' _patrols_ 'd be pretty noisy 'bout that too. Shane told 'em no guns.”  
      “Ah... I can imagine some folks weren't too happy about that.”  
      “Just that blonde gal Merle went off with.”  
      “Andrea?”  
      “Mhmm.”  
      “Oh no... Her and Merle are out there?”  
      “Mhmm.”  
      “Aw man... Poor...” Laura-Mae's sentiment was left unspoken. Yet again she was struck by the thought that Merle was Daryl's brother, so maybe she shouldn't take to talking shit about him. Not in front of Daryl anyway.  
      “They'll be fine,” Laura-Mae quickly finished. “And at least Merle oughta be pretty quiet, huh?”  
      “Nah. He wouldn't know what 'quiet’ was if it jumped up and bit 'im.”  
      Laura-Mae smiled. “I didn't say it.”  
      Somewhere in the orange light dancing around on Daryl’s face she thought she saw a soft smile. If it had even been there he hid it quickly, jerking his chin off to the side like he always did.  
      That serene silence fell over them again, and Laura-Mae found herself smiling dreamily at the embers that twirled up into the night sky. She'd finished the tough and stringy strips of squirrel meat quick as she could and, noting the fire dimming down a bit, she pushed her paper plate into it. Once she'd drawn her hands back to herself, she rubbed at her forearms.  
      “Thanks again,” she said. “I owe you one, man.”  
      “Don't worry 'bout it... Ringo eat yet?”  
      “Yeah, she ate. What, you think I'm gonna let my furry buddy shrivel away while I eat like a queen?”  
      “Nah...”  
      “Okay then!” She grinned. “Thanks for asking, though. Good to know we got someone lookin’ out for us.”  
      Silently he nodded, leaning forward as he had been. After a short while he spoke up again.  
      “You said you're an artist...”  
      “Oh, uh... Yeah...”  
      “What, you paint?”  
      “No, I actually...mostly did...digital stuff.” While she spoke her spirits started to dwindle and crumble into dust. “And it is...just now dawning on me that...all my art is... _totally_ gone.” She could practically feel her entire being drooping down. And yet, there had been worse things the past week. Like the world ending, for example.  
      “Ah well,” she shook her head and tried to push the troubling thought into the back of her mind with all the other shit she had been trying to ignore for the better part of a week. “Still got my trusty ol' binder!”  
      “...What kinda stuff d’ya draw?”  
      She sighed. “Does... Does it really even matter?”  
      “Guess not... Just curious.”  
      “I know, I know... Sor-- I mean, uh... I... Well, I draw cartoony kinda stuff. Comics, though... They're my _real_ passion. Never really forced myself to commit to anything, though. Just...funny little strips here and there.”  
      “You? Makin’ _joke_ comics? I shoulda known.”  
      Laura-Mae scoffed. “Yeah you shoulda! Did I strike you as more of a _found object sculpture_ type?”  
      Daryl leaned back and rubbed at the back of his neck. “I figured you did _landscapes_ or somethin’.”  
      “ _Landscapes_ . Oh so you thought I was a _real_ artist, huh? Like in the big leagues! Well Daryl, I ain't no Monet or Bob Ross...but I've been known to make a few folks bust a chuck from time to time.”  
      “... _Bust a chuck_ ?”  
      “Yeah!” She snickered, devilishly delighted to hear just how confused he sounded, and totally tickled he had said it anyway. “You know? Like...chuckling? Laughing? I mean I know _you_ don't laugh, but...it's, like, a whole thing! You should try it sometime.”  
      “Maybe if you ever said anything funny--”  
      “Hey you laughed at that fart joke yesterday! _Almost_ , anyway. I know that's your weakness, _Daryl_ ,” she grinned from ear to ear. “It's mine too.”  
      “Nah, you just caught me off guard, s’all _that_ was.”  
      “Okay, _sure_ , pal. Hey, it's nothin’ to be ashamed of. Good fart jokes are like...like precious little treasures...to be _cherished_ , you hear me?”  
      Daryl smirked, but shook his head as though he were trying to shake the smirk right off his lips.  
      “You're a damn trip, girl,” he said.  
      “Yeah, well. Don't say I never did ya any favors! The joy of laughter isn't something to joke about, you know?”  
      Daryl shook his head again, quietly looking off to the side.  
      “So what about you, man? What'd _you_ do before all this?”  
      If there had been a smile on his face, it certainly wasn't there anymore. Daryl didn't respond at all and his eyebrows scrunched down.  
     At the crackling, rustling sound of bootsteps crunching through the foliage, the both of them looked quickly over. Preemptively Laura-Mae waited for Merle to come stepping through the trees. And, of course, he did.

     ‘ _Why am I only ever right when it's_ **_Merle_ ** _?_ ’

     Catching her sight, Merle smiled widely. “Well if it ain't...the girl with the dog!”  
     “...Yep! The one and only!”  
     “You know you been spendin’ so much time with my baby brother... Makin’ me think maybe you ain't missin’ that _fiance_ o’ yours so bad after all.”  
     Laura-Mae frowned, but tried to mask her agitation with a forced laugh. “Yeah, well he’s just such a great distraction y'know?”  
     Daryl looked down, grabbing his wrist and seeming to tuck into himself. Laura-Mae shifted a confused face at him, watching him and trying to figure out if she had said or done something wrong. Merle snapped her out of it.  
     “That's alright. I like you a lot better'n that _rug muncher_ ,” he spat the words out.  
     “Uh... Andrea?” Laura-Mae couldn’t help but wonder why the Dixons had such a hard time with names. Merle seemed to have trouble with even his own brother's name.  
     “ _Whatever_ her damn name is. I just try an’ be nice to 'er, 'n’ she gives me this face like she's been suckin’ on a damn lemon ‘er whole life.”  
     “Yeah, well... She's a tough lady for sure.”  
     “ _Tough_? Uppity bitch was jumpin’ at every little thing. Complainin’ about boss-man the whole way. She weren't no fun at all. Not like you, uh...” Merle stopped himself short, looking over at her.  
     “Laura-Mae. And...thanks, I guess...?”  
     “What you been up to the past week anyway, _Laura_ -Mae?”  
     “Oh, uh... Just...”

     ‘ _Nothing. Like always._ ’

     “Just walkin’ my dog,” she smiled weakly.  
     Merle sat himself down on his usual stump, undoing his belt buckle same as last time. Laura-Mae began to absentmindedly draw little swirls in the dirt she was sitting on.  
     “Merle Dixon!” Shane's voice booming from the undergrowth made Laura-Mae practically jump out of her skin. He strode out into their clearing with his chest stuck out. Laura-Mae was already shooting him a grimace, but she tried to hide it as best she could when he noticed her, barely.  
     Merle shot a defiant look at him as well, and Daryl looked up at him although he was still slouched forward.  
     “You and me need to have a little chat,” Shane told him, his thin lips tugging down into an agitated frown. Laura-Mae gathered up a fistful of dirt while she shifted her eyes between the three men.  
     “What'd I do this time? Don't tell me Blondie was complainin’!”  
     Shane crossed his arms over his chest and stood tall. “Patrols aren't _matchmaking_ time, Merle. You're out there to look for sick folks. That's it.”  
     “Where's the fun in tha--”  
     “Ain't supposed to be fun, Merle!” Shane cut him off, giving a smug, sideways smirk. Merle stood and glowered over at the taller man.  
     “Y'know... I don't like your attitude, _mister_ ,” he said.  
     “I don't think _anyone_ in camp likes _your_ attitude.” Shane faced him with his full and looming posture. Daryl stood up and spit down into the dirt.  
     “Nobody said you could come out here,” he growled. “You got a problem with us, you can just stay back at _camp_.”  
     Shane shifted a tight-lipped frown over to him. “Is that right?”  
     “S’right.” Daryl's voice was low and menacing. Laura-Mae might have even been frightened if it were _her_ he was addressing. But he was talking to Shane. And Shane didn't seem all that scared.  
     “How about you talk some _sense_ into your brother here?”  
     “How 'bout you just go on back where you came from!” Daryl's usually quiet voice cracked like lightning when he shouted, making Laura-Mae jump.  
     “Yeah, that's right!” Merle wore a sick kind of smile on his face. “This is _our_ part o’ camp! You can't just walk up like you _own_ the place!”  
     Shane glared over at him, sucking at his teeth and shifting his weight around.  
     “Y'know...” He cracked a cocky smile and rubbed at his chin. “I was _hopin’_ you'd give me an excuse to kick your ass.”  
     “Oh, you gonna kick _my_ ass, boy?” Merle's smile had shifted easily into a snarl. He and Daryl both squared off, balling their fists up.  
     “Whoa, _hey_!” Laura-Mae finally shouted over all of them. Having gained their surprised attention, she briefly wondered if they had completely forgotten she was there. She hoisted herself up and brushed herself off while she looked over at Shane.  
     “Look dude, _we get it_ ,” her tone was thick with malice. “Big dog, big nuts.”  
     Shane seemed a little taken aback by her tone, his square jaw falling slack just so.  
     “We're _all_ just trying to cope right now, okay? So just... Just _back the fuck off_ , man!” She shouted the last few words. Her tiny hands were balled into shaking fists, and she glared right up at him.  
     Shane said nothing, only staring at her with pure, unfiltered indignation. Then he scoffed and shook his head. And then, silently, he turned his back on them all and strode away, back to where he came from.  
     Laura-Mae was still shaking, watching him go. Her blood was still pumping, she found herself having to catch her breath, and she ignored the stinging in her eyes. It wasn't until Merle was letting out loud and jovial laughter that she finally managed to loosen up a bit.  
     “Whoa there!” He grinned. “I didn't know you had _that_ in ya!”  
     She shook her head and pushed out a shaky sigh. “Y-Yeah... Me neither...”  
     Already Merle was sitting back down, looking absolutely chuffed. Daryl was still staring off to where Shane had come from, but he too eventually settled back down on the log on which he'd been sitting.  
     “I tell you what, Elly May... That was mighty white of ya, ya hear me? Far as I’m concerned, you got a _lifetime invitation_ with me and my baby brother here!”  
     Laura-Mae only nodded, barely even acknowledging him. He hadn't seemed to notice though, continuing right along on his little spiel.  
     “I mean it! Anything you need, you just come and ask. Us Dixons'll take care o’ you, ya hear me? _Anything_!”  
     “...Thanks,” she finally mumbled. She was just sick of hearing his voice at that point. She was sick of everything at that point. “I uh... I think I'm...gonna go.”  
     “Aw yeah, you go get you some rest! You gonna sleep like a _champ_ now!” Merle was still hooping and hollering as though his home team had just won the Super Bowl. “You remember what I said, now!”  
     “Yeah...” Laura-Mae turned to leave, her head feeling like it was throbbing.  
     Daryl spoke up, though perhaps a little sheepishly compared to Merle.  
     “Thanks,” he told her. Laura-Mae stopped short, her back still turned to the both of them.  
     “...Yeah.” Then she was off, not caring nearly so much what she stepped on or how much noise she might make. No, she made a complete and total beeline for her metal sanctuary. And that was where she stayed for the entirety of the next week.


	10. Badhead

**EPISODE X**

**Badhead**

★★★

     From a deep and heavy sleep, Laura-Mae's eyes pried slowly open. Flicking over, eyelids drooped and fluttering, they took in the puddle of shaggy, scraggy fur that was Ringo. Already she was lying close to the side door, sniffing at its edges and whimpering a few times. Laura-Mae's blanket ruffled under her as she crawled from out of her bed in the overhead space above the cab. She stumbled a little when her feet met the floor, but she grabbed up Ringo's leash and clipped it onto her collar. Rather than looping it around her waist as she once had, Laura-Mae only held it limply in her perhaps too-pale hand.  
      When Ringo tugged her out the door she followed, still quiet, her neck craned and her head down, hair falling around her face. The only time she put in any effort to change their course was when Ringo would try and pull her way down the road. But just as Laura-Mae had been doing for the past week, she refused her and instead called to her and directed her to the undergrowth just aside their RV. Ringo had grown quickly and very obviously bored with the same bushes, the same tree trunks and grass, but she did her business anyway. The second she was done, Laura-Mae tugged her back up into the Travelcraft and closed the door behind them.  
      The only noise that came from Laura-Mae was her stomach loudly growling when she opened up Ringo's plastic food bin. Once the blue lid was snapped and opened, the smell of dried kibbles hit her nose, and her mouth watered. She stared at the dried food, a thin layer on the very bottom of the bin, lying in the mini mountains of crumbs.  
     T he plastic of the bin was peeking through the disheveled pebbles. She tipped it over to the side, scooping up about half of what was left. The pathetic portion barely covered the bottom of the one-cup scoop. Laura-Mae dropped it into Ringo's bowl regardless, and she came right up and wolfed them down in seconds. She licked her lips and looked up at Laura-Mae. Her stomach growled.  
      “I know...” Laura-Mae's voice cracked from a week of nearly no use. Ringo's tail wagged once, then twice and a third tentative time, and then she lay down on the floor and huffed out a breath so deep her mustache puffed out like a parachute.  
      “...Sorry. But... We gotta make it last...for as long as possible...” Laura-Mae climbed back up into her bed. She, her mattress, and her blanket had become best friends the past week -- they were the only things that gave her support. Them, and of course her loyal pal Ringo. But even Ringo's somber serenades did little to give Laura-Mae comfort anymore.

     ‘ _ Not like you deserve that anyway, do you? No...  _ **_This_ ** _ is what you deserve. And you know that. _ ’

     In her solitude, that taunting and daunting voice in Laura-Mae's head was the only thing she could seem to hear. Above the birdsong, and above the gentle breezes brushing pine branches against the roof of the RV. Above it all, there was that no-good, irritating, aggravating  _ goddamn _ voice.

     ‘ _ You’re just so fucking worthless. It's almost laughable! As laughable as your stupid fucking jokes you're always making. Oh, but you're not making jokes now, huh? Maybe you just finally get it.  _ **_Finally_ ** _. It's good you're letting yourself waste away in here. All on your own. Just like it should be. _ ’

     Tears started to sting into her eyes, and her lips quivered. But she shot an enraged look at the wall of her overhead bedroom, her eyebrows furrowing down and her heart thumping wildly.

     ‘ _ Look at you... Just  _ **_look_ ** _ at you! Totally. Fucking. Pathetic. That's all you are. All you ever  _ **_will_ ** _ be. I can't believe you  _ **_genuinely_ ** _ thought you were helping these people. How delusional! Then again... They're just as bad off as you are. Didn't you all get the memo? The world's over. Everything you all depended on...it's all gone. All that work and progress. For nothing. What a shame. _ ’

     At least that was something Laura-Mae could agree on. It truly had been a shame. And yet...no one back at camp hadn't given up. So why should she?

     ‘ _ Because  _ **_you_ ** _ never had anything to live for in the first place. _ ’

     “That's not true,” Laura-Mae finally growled in a shaky, nervous kind of way. It was like she was trying and failing to intimidate this voice that only she had been made to hear.  
     “Marty's gonna be here any day now,” she stubbornly told the voice.  
     The laughter that rattled around in her mind sent shivers down her spine.

     ‘ _ Now I  _ **_know_ ** _ you're delusional! Don't you think that if he was coming he would have been here by now? By last week he would have been here! But... Either he's not coming, or... _ ’

     “Shut up," Laura-Mae growled, for real this time.

     ‘ _ He’s  _ **_dead_ ** _. _ ’

     “Shut  _ up _ !” Laura-Mae shouted into her pillow. The wet spots from her earlier tears were cold against her hot cheeks.

     ‘ _ You know it's true! He's dead... Just like your dad. But you're  _ **_happy_ ** _ about that, right? Shit... I know you wish you could've done it yourself. You might keep on trying to deny it, but we both know... But you? No, you don't deserve the satisfaction. What  _ **_you_ ** _ deserve...is exactly what happened. Because you're  _ **_worthless_ ** _. _ ’

     She could take no more. Same as every other time her mind had traveled there, to what she considered the end of the road. Sobs consumed her, an ugly and guttural sound. Her chest and her back heaved, and she pulled her blanket up over her head. The tiny amount of air left around her was hot and humid, wet with the tears that continued to stream down her face and soak into her pillow.

     ‘ _ That’s right... Just accept it. The sooner you do...the sooner you can stop kidding yourself. Your life ended in that moment. Only ten years of precious life, and then...you were  _ **_ruined_ ** _. And you will  _ **_never_ ** _ get that back. So...why even bother? Why even  _ **_try_ ** _? This is the death you deserve. Slow. Painful.  _ **_Alone_ ** _. You deserve this. _ ’

     “I deserve this...” she mumbled through her submissive sobs. “I... I deserve this...” Pain radiated from her stomach, shooting up into her skin until every hair from the nape of her neck to the ends of her ankles stiffened and straightened up from the tops of goosebumps. She grunted, the sound mixing easily with the caterwauling already consuming her. Ringo's concerned cries from down below fell on deaf ears, as well as the continued clacking of her pacing paws, barely even audible over the blood rushing and the sobbing.

     ‘ _ You should just fucking kill yourself. _ ’

     Laura-Mae had been fighting it. Ever since the thought started to poke at the back of her mind when she got to camp. Ever since she was sixteen, just starting to piece together the gravity of the atrocities she'd been made to face, what she hadn't really even realized until she was a little older, what had been done to her solely for the pleasure of another. And now...

     ‘ _ Everyone would be better off without you.  _ **_Everyone_ ** _. And no one would care in the slightest. Why would they? You're  _ **_nothing_ ** _ to them -- to anyone. You're just worthl--’ _

     “ _ I get it _ !” Her shout was aggravated, shrill, and quaking. “What do you think...I'm waiting for in here?” Her crying had started to taper down into mere snotty sniffles. She drew her head from the blanket, the cooler air hitting her in the face like the first bitter breeze of autumn. She drew it into a deep breath, and let out a chuckle.  
      “Think I'm just waitin’ on some kinda miracle? For...for a Burger King to open up down the street?”

     ‘ _ How quaint. And  _ **_stupid_ ** _. _ ’

     “I know...” Shakily she stepped back down to the lower part of the RV and petted Ringo who'd jumped back onto the sofa and had been waiting there diligently. Laura-Mae peeked out the windshield, guestimating what time it might be. The sun was high in the sky, casting bright and warm light down onto the road.  
     "Speaking of quaint and stupid..." Somehow she managed another sincere smile, albeit a weak and defeated one. If Marty couldn't be there to help her, to distract her and tell her that everything was going to be alright... At least, she mused, she always had her comics.  
     And so she tiptoed neatly to her closet and she pulled the door open and hauled her black pleather messenger bag out of it. Though she struggled with the weight, she pulled the strap over one shoulder and pulled herself back into her makeshift bedroom. Her knees sank into the plush blanket and mattress, and she set her messenger bag down and zipped it open, pulling the white plastic binder free.  
     Her fingertips ran along the spine, frayed neatly at the bottom from where her pet rabbit had once nibbled at the plastic and left a pattern of punctures. Slid into the binder's plastic front was an illustration of her ultra-cartoony persona, drifting  in nebulous globs of deep purple, brandished with chubby white stars. Laura-Mae had drawn it several years back and printed it as something of a cover for her comic book. This was, as she called it, her comic bible. It was the one place where she put every page, strip, sketch and idea for the project that she had decided years ago was her magnum opus.  
     Inside were smudged sketches of pages, some already colored and printed and stuffed into the binder's front pocket, character illustrations and notes, strips only boxed and thumbnailed with the dialogue written outside the rough borders making up the panels. This project... This comic... It had always reminded her that no matter what she had been through, no matter what was coming next, no matter how bad things got, she was right here, right now. She was alive. And _that_ was what really mattered. That counted for something.  
     Sifting through the pages, her eyes shifting from bubble to bubble, panel to panel, a bittersweet kind of nostalgia washed over her like a low-tide wave. The past six or seven years of her life, all documented there, they seemed farther away than ever, as though they were from another ripple in time entirely. Her fingers gently traced the edge of each piece of paper, and she would snicker and snort and smirk and smile while she turned page after page.  
     The pages and strips with Marty were the ones she took perhaps the most time reading, the most time wishing that they were reality, or that she could go back to that time and place. She recalled showing him each new adventure their little cartoon counterparts would go on, and how he would laugh and tell her he loved it. That was always her favorite thing -- when she could make Marty laugh. Or when she could make him smile. What she wouldn't give to have him there, even if he wasn't laughing or smiling.  
     Once she had reached the last page, she stared at the empty space at the bottom of it for a good, long while. In truth it had been months since she'd last made a comic. Oh she had ideas for _days_ , but... Deep down she worried that anything she might make nowadays wouldn't have that same _magic_ , or perhaps not be as meaningful as they had once been. And so she never tried. She let her binder collect dust on a shelf in her and Marty's bedroom. Deciding to bring it with her on her trip had been no coincidence, however. No, even before Laura-Mae left Texas, she was certain this journey of hers would change her. For better or for worse. And she wanted to document it.  
     "But who...in their right mind...would want to read a comic about...about _this_ ," Laura-Mae frowned. Ringo perked her ears up at her human's somber tone.  
     "A comic about...dead people coming back to life and...killing living people? Talk about _grim_. What kind of... _lesson_ is there to take from that? What would there be to...laugh or smile about?"  
     Perhaps ironically, at first the thought had struck her as comical. But the more she pondered it, the more bleak she felt about everything. Her hand groped around inside of her messenger bag for her mechanical pencil. Once she had brought it out she clicked some lead out, and then...she hesitated. She flipped to a fresh sheet of paper. She hesitated. She stared down at the blank page and she couldn't bring herself to do anything more.

     ' _ Who are you really even kidding here? You think some stupid little cartoons are going to  _ **_change_ ** _ anything? That they're going to be worth anything...  _ **_Mean_ ** _ anything? Just another delusion to add to the never-ending list, huh? _ '

     Closing the binder and resting her pencil atop it, Laura-Mae heaved a heavy-hearted sigh. Her stomach growled so loudly that Ringo tilted her head at the noise, and Laura-Mae looked down at her. Then she looked at that nearly empty plastic food bin.  
     “Gotta get you...somethin’ to eat, girl...” She brought herself back down on the first floor of the Travelcraft and scratched behind Ringo's ear before she gave her a gentle kiss atop her head. “The things I do...for your hairy ass.”

     ‘ _ There’s no point going back out there. How many times do I have to tell you? _ ’

     “I'm not gonna bring...Ringo down with me.” Nausea started to pulse through her in waves.

     ‘ _ Don’t you think if they cared about you they would have come and checked on you by now? Why do you keep kidding yourself like this? _ ’

     “Yeah, well...” Laura-Mae shook her head, trying to ignore the dizziness she was feeling. Her head swam around like a goldfish in a tiny glass bowl while she made her way towards the door.  
     “Stay... Stay, Ringo...” Laura-Mae told her weakly. Ringo lay back down on the couch, resting her chin on her front paws. “I'll be right back...”  
     Laura-Mae swung the side door open and stepped down onto the dirt road. Her bones felt tingly, tickly almost, but she managed to ignore it, having to focus on steadying her swaying steps.  
     It had been two whole days since she'd eaten anything. Having been a fat and free American her whole life, this was a new, strange sensation for her. Yet every time she wanted to complain, there of course would be that faithful voice -- her own voice -- dutifully informing her just how _greedy_ she was being. How she, of course, didn't deserve food anyway.  
     About halfway down the road Dale came bustling up to her. He had been giving her a big, friendly smile from where he was, but once he'd gotten closer it faded in an instant.  
     “My god... Are you alright?”  
     “Huh? Me? Yeah.” Laura-Mae kept her eyes away from his with her brisk answers.  
     “Hey... Look at me...” Dale planted his hands onto her shoulders. At first she refused, but not wanting anything to seem out of place, she reluctantly did.  
     “You don't _look_ alright.”  
     “I'm _fine_ ,” she told him curtly.  
     He pushed out what sounded like a reluctant sigh and drew his hands back to himself. “Alright, well... Shane's sending Glenn on a 'test run’ up to Atlanta for supplies. Did you... Did you need anything?”  
     “Dog food,” her reply was swift, blunt. “Any kind.”  
     “...And?”  
     “Just dog food.”  
     “...No water? Clothes? ...Food?” He lingered on the last word and he lifted up one bushy salt-and-pepper eyebrow.  
     “ _No_ ,” Laura-Mae practically spat. “...No,” she told him a little more calmly. “That's...that's all I need.”  
     Dale didn't let up on the worried look, his bushy brows scrunching down a bit under the brim of his hat. “You know you can always come ask me...if you _do_ need something, don't ya?”  
     “Yeah.”  
     “...Yeah." Dale still didn't sound convinced. "Say, uh... Are you _sure_ you're--”  
     “I'm _fine_ , Dale... I... I'm fine. Thanks.” Laura-Mae didn't give him time to keep prying, and she definitely didn't want her stomach to go and blow her thinly-veiled cover. And so, she made an about-face turn and marched back towards the Travelcraft.

     ‘ _ See? _ ’

     Her inner voice sounded almost smug. Triumphant.

     ‘ _ He doesn't care about you. He was only  _ **_pitying_ ** _ you. And you... _ ’

     “I know,” Laura-Mae spat under her breath. “I don't deserve it...” She had gotten to her RV by now, and her shaking hand reached up towards the door handle. There was a rustling in the foliage behind her and across the road, and she weakly whirled around to face the startling sound.  
     “Oh... Daryl...”  
     “Thought I heard ya comin’ out...”  
     “Uh... Yeah.”  
     “...Y'alri--”  
     “I'm _fine_!” Laura-Mae snapped at him, raising her voice a little. Daryl didn't even flinch, only staring at her evenly from across the way. She stubbornly stared right back at him and, after a few breaths, a heavy sigh escaped her and her shoulders drooped.  
     “Sor-- I mean... I... I'm fine. Thanks for...checking in.”  
     He nodded, staying quiet. She looked over at him for a moment longer and then, finally, stepped silently up into the Travelcraft, feeling defeated.

     ‘ _ I can't believe it... You think he cares about you too, huh? Yeah right! Why would he? All you ever do is make him mad. Why would he ever want to spend any time with you?  _ **_Waste_ ** _ time on you? _ ’

     Laura-Mae shook her head, knowing in her heart of hearts that by now she was too far gone. For just a moment, standing across the road from Daryl, there'd been a spark of hope. Now, back in the thick and tense air she'd cultivated all on her own...she accepted that there was no hope to be found here. For now at least, her inner demon had won.

     ‘ _ All you  _ **_ever_ ** _ do is make people mad. Or sad. Remember Dale's face when you  _ **_snapped_ ** _ at him just now?  _ **_That_ ** _ is what  _ **_you_ ** _ do to people. It's about time he saw the  _ **_real_ ** _ you. _ ’

     Slouching, slumping, Laura-Mae walked towards the front of the Travelcraft and let herself fall down into the driver's seat. Ringo joined her and hopped up into the passenger's seat, her tail wagging in big wafting waves. Her excited eyes preemptively took in the scenery just outside the window, still streaky with dog snot.  
     “No, Ringo...” Laura-Mae mumbled. She loosely draped her forearms on the steering wheel, crossing them and laying her head down on them. “We're not...going anywhere... Someone... Someone's gonna bring you something to eat...okay?” Her own stomach growled, a high-pitched sound. Ringo tilted her head, her ears perking up and honing in on the strange, squeaky-grumbly kind of noise, and Laura-Mae groaned. Another wave of nausea passed through her, racking her with unpleasant and flashing waves of heat.  
     In a nearly too swift movement Laura-Mae stood, having to brace herself against the seat's headrest when she stumbled to the side. On her short walk into the kitchen, feeling as though it were a journey worthy of comparison to _The Lord of the Rings_ , she steadied herself with what she could.

     ‘ _ It’s just gonna be more of the same. You think some food's just gonna  _ **_magically_ ** _ appear? Maybe if you wish hard enough, right? Moron.’ _

     Laura-Mae swung a cupboard door open, then another. She already knew very well that nothing would be there. Still. She even swung the fridge open, but it had been empty for weeks now. Laura-Mae couldn't decide if the simple act of checking made her feel better or worse, though. No... Worse. Definitely worse. She stared with blank and dull eyes into the empty, warm refrigerator, and her imagination flooded with images of all the amazing food she wanted.  
     “Marty's gumbo...” By far her favorite, just above a juicy hunk of sirloin, cooked rare... Or maybe masterfully crafted rolls of fresh sushi from her favorite restaurant in her hometown... Or spaghetti. _Oh_ what she wouldn't give for a nice, hot, steaming plate of spaghetti. Or bowl. A nice, hot, steaming bowl of spaghetti would have suited her just fine too.  
     Trudging to the dinette set, she plopped herself down, and stared across to the empty seat opposite her. She imagined Marty sat there, back at their apartment's dining room table. He would compliment her on “her” spaghetti, little more than garlic and some name-brand meat sauce over bland noodles. But he always complimented her, every time, even though he was the real chef between them. A soft smile graced her lips, and she reached her hand across the table. She could practically feel his hand there, tenderly cupping hers. She could hear him telling her how much he loved her...how much he missed her. And her eyes started to pool.

     ‘ _ I thought I told you... _ ’

     “He's... He's  _ alive _ . I know it...” Laura-Mae nodded to herself. Ringo, finally having given up on the idea of going anywhere, sat herself down on the floor next to Laura-Mae. She rested her scruffy chin on her leg and her big, brown eyes blinked sorrowfully up at her.  
      “Soon, girl... Soon... Marty will come get us...and we can finally go home...”  
      As she always did, Ringo perked up at the sound of Marty's name. Laura-Mae ran her fingers through her fur.  
      “I know... I miss him too... Every day... Every night...” She started to tremble again, and Ringo whimpered. “It's okay... I'm... I'm okay...”

     ‘ _ No you're not.  _ **_Liar_ ** _. But, hey... If you're lucky...this'll all be over soon. And you won't have to worry about any of it ever again. _ ’

     “...Oh, but I deserve  _ that _ ? Seems to kinda go against what you've been saying this whole time, huh?” To her hesitant relief, there was no clever quip waiting in response. She smirked. Of course, it didn't last long.

     ‘ _ At least everyone back at camp will be happy to have you gone! Especially Shane. See, now  _ **_there's_ ** _ someone who saw through your bullshit from the very beginning. And you just can't stand that...can you? _ ’

     A thin frown formed on her lips, same as it had when Dale mentioned his name earlier. Her mind raced back to one week prior, when she'd been shouting at him by the Dixon campfire.

     ‘ _ Bet you feel like a real tough guy, huh? Thinking you own the place. _ ’

     “No...” It had in fact been quite the opposite. Ever since then, since that moment, Laura-Mae had felt some kind of dread she couldn't exactly place a finger on. Maybe that was it. Maybe...  
     “If I go and apologize...”

     ‘ _ You’ll only make a fool of yourself! _ ’

     “Okay, great! I probably  _ deserve _ to get humiliated, right?”  
      Silence. She smiled.  
      “C'mon, girl!” Laura-Mae patted two brisk times at her hip and started to string Ringo's leash through her belt loops. “Let's get this over with...”

★★★

     The walk to the quarry had been a quick and quiet one. Ringo seemed absolutely delighted, though. Her head was high up on her shoulders, her tail straight up and bobbing as she trotted along. Her excitement had helped too, tugging Laura-Mae's lackadaisical and weak pace up to speed. In the back of her mind Laura-Mae wondered if she might lose any of her belly pudge before she kicked the bucket. Nah. She wasn't so lucky. She’d die fat and miserable, and she had already accepted that.  
      When the dynamic duo had finally strolled into camp, Dale was the first to spot them. An apparently relieved smile made its easy way across his face, his teeth showing through his white beard. Laura-Mae smiled back. She just couldn't help it.  
      “Well if it isn't Ringo and Laura-Mae!” He bridged the gap between them easily, and Ringo left Laura-Mae a little unsteady when she pulled at her leash to greet him. Now her tail was spinning like a helicopter blade and she pushed her scruffy forehead into the palm of his waiting hand.  
      “Hey, uh... Any idea where Shane is?" Laura-Mae asked. "I...need to talk to him...about something.” Loosely she hugged herself, her eyes flicking around the camp which was busy and bustling as usual.  
      Dale's face became etched with sudden worry.  
      “Oh no, everything's okay, I just... It's a long story...”  
      “Uh-huh... Well... He was just seeing Glenn off not long ago... Should be back any second I imagine.”  
      “Here I am,” Shane's voice was stern but curious. Laura-Mae jumped a little at the sound, and she wondered how she hadn't noticed him walking up behind Dale. Everything turned into a blur since day one of going hungry. On day two...things weren't much better to say the least.  
      “Hey, uh... can I...talk to you about something?”  
      Shane studied her through an obvious grimace, one he didn't even bother trying to hide, and he crossed his arms. “Go on.”  
      Dale's gaze shifted between the two of them while he kept petting Ringo.  
      “I... Well...” Even though it was pretty much only Shane's dark eyes staying affixed to her, Laura-Mae felt as though there were thousands. “I wanted to... _ apologize _ for...showing my ass.” She scratched at the back of her head and rubbed at the nape of her neck. “I shouldn't have...yelled at you the way I did...”  
      Shane was quiet for a few long and lingering moments. Then he only scoffed through a smirk, same as he had done a week ago.  
      “Alright,” he told her plainly. “‘Preciate it.”  
      Dale's once concerned visage beamed with a bright smile. Lori paced up to them all, and Laura-Mae felt almost too weak to look away from her. It was too late for that anyways, since Lori talked to her as soon as she'd gotten within earshot.  
      “Hey Laura-Mae,” she smiled pleasantly. Laura-Mae was shyly struck she remembered her name, but listened up as best she could. Lori stood just behind Shane and placed a hand on his shoulder. He glanced over at her with a smug smile and lifted an eyebrow.  
      “I know this is gonna sound like a weird question," she said, "but... Do you think Carl and Sophia could see your dog?” Her auburn eyes shifted over to Ringo who had made herself comfortable sitting down on the grass, her spotted tongue lolling out of her panting mouth.  
      Lori chuckled while her head shook. “I swear, ever since they found out you had a dog that's all I've been hearin’ about.” The exhausted expression on her face said everything Laura-Mae needed to know. She, Shane, and Dale all looked expectantly at her, awaiting an answer.  
      “Uh... Yeah... I don't see...why not.” Had it been a week ago she might have been more jovial, perhaps even downright  _ peppy _ . But the pangs in her stomach made it a challenge to try and fake high energy as she usually did.  
      “Oh, thank you! Won't be but for just a minute. They're gonna be so happy!” Lori was grinning from ear to ear. Her face was pretty and practically sparkling. Shane's smile grew wider, and he followed closely behind her as she walked towards a tent near the camp's border. Dale patted Laura-Mae's shoulder as he followed, and she was sent stumbling forward a step. She recovered quick enough, or at least so quick that Dale hadn't seemed to notice.  
      When the group had gotten close enough, Carl and Sophia pried their eyes away from the textbooks they'd had their noses in to look up at them all. Once they saw Ringo they both grinned, Sophia doing so with a little more reservation than her stoked study buddy. When her mother Carol smiled down at her and nodded while she stroked at the back of Sophia's hair, it widened considerably.  
      “Can we pet him?” Carl asked excitedly, running up to meet his mom. “What's his name?”  
      “Ask Miss Laura-Mae,” Lori patted the top of his head. Carl's bright blue eyes shifted over to her, and Laura-Mae smiled weakly. She'd never really been good with kids. It wasn't as though she didn't like them, but...she was just never quite sure what to say to them.  
      “Can I?” He asked her sweetly.  
      “Can you...?” Lori prompted him and patted his back.  
      “Can I  _ please _ ?” He giggled and grinned up at his mom. Lori smiled and gave him an approving nod.  
      “Yeah, sure!” Laura-Mae used up just about all her energy to do it, but she managed to smile widely at Carl. Ringo was already alert from where she stood behind Laura-Mae.  
      “C'mon Ringo, come say hey!” Laura-Mae leaned down onto a knee, feeling as though she could collapse. She dismissed the thought of it, focusing on holding Ringo's collar. She wasn't worried in the slightest about Ringo biting or even growling at him, but..."better safe than sorry" was perhaps one of Laura-Mae's favorite philosophies, and it had served her well up until now at least.  
      “Come on, Sophia!” Carl said.  
      She followed timidly behind him, the big sneakers on the ends of her lanky legs shuffling bashfully along. Ringo pulled to sniff at them, and Carl laughed in bright delight when she pushed her big, snuffling nose into his freckled face.  
      “What's his name?” Carl repeated the question over to Laura-Mae now.  
      “Her name's Ringo!”  
      “Hi, Ringo...” Sophia reached out and awkwardly pet the big black splotch on Ringo's back. When Ringo leaned over to sniff her face she shied away, but she couldn't seem to help but smile.  
      “She's so fluffy!” Carl grinned. “Can we play with her?”  
      Lori answered for her. “No, no. Ringo and Miss Laura-Mae have work to do!”  
      “ _ Work _ ?” Shane finally spoke up. Looking up at him from where she was kneeled, Laura-Mae was surprised to see him smiling. Actually,  _ really _ smiling. She hadn't thought that possible.  
      “That ball o’ fur? What's she gonna do,  _ lick _ someone to death?” Ringo looked over at him too, and her tail started wagging a little more slowly. She shrank a pawstep closer to Laura-Mae.  
      “What you got,  _ Fluffy _ ?” Shane grinned. He stared down into Ringo's eyes, unblinking and screwing his lips into a mock snarl to bare his teeth at her.  
      Ringo lowered her head and a low growl rumbled up from her throat. Both the kids let out a noise of surprise, and Sophia darted back to Carol's side. Carl stayed where he was, but he certainly seemed much less excited about the whole "getting to see a dog" thing. Lori and Laura-Mae both frowned over at Shane while he laughed.

     ‘ _ Hope you're having fun torturing my dog,  _ **_asshole_ ** _... _ ’

     To Laura-Mae at least, Shane sure did have a hard time making himself likable. Within a matter of moments that changed.  
     “So she _does_ have some fight in ‘er! I stand corrected.” He shifted his still-smiling mug to Laura-Mae. “And you got some left in you too, don't ya?”  
     Without thinking twice she nodded, and her heart started to beat a little faster. It was as though her mind knew something she didn't yet. But didn't that always seem to be the case?  
     “How about you join Glenn on his patrol tomorrow mornin’? If he makes it back from Atlanta, that is.”  
     “Me...?”  
     “Yeah, you,” he nodded. The sun blared over his shoulder and blotted out his expression, but Laura-Mae thought that perhaps he was still smiling, and genuinely at that.  
     She showed her crooked teeth off to him, beaming a grin in his direction.  
     “That'd be... Yeah! Yeah, I'll go! Me 'n’ Ringo... Yeah... Thank you, Shane...” Somehow it was a little less difficult to pretend to be excited. It was almost like she didn't need to pretend at all.  
     “Don't mention it,” Shane said.  
     “Oh yeah, they'll do just fine,” Dale piped in with a jovial smile. When Laura-Mae looked back at Ringo, Carl had already started petting her again, scratching behind her soft ears. When she licked out at his face he jumped back with a grinning grimace.  
     “Eww!” He giggled and wiped his face with the back of his hand. Lori chuckled and nodded over at Laura-Mae.  
     “Thank you. Been a while since I've seen him smile like that.”  
     “Yeah... Of course! Ringo, she...she has that effect on people.” Laura-Mae leaned over to scratch Ringo's head before she pushed her palm against her knee and shakily stood herself up. She brushed the dirt off her other knee and then jumped when Dale slapped at her back.  
     “Good to see you again,” he told her.  
     “Tell Amy and Andrea I said hi," Laura-Mae said with a weak but genuine smile.  
     “I will,” his eyes sparkled.  
     “And Shane...”  
     He had already huddled closely with Lori and Carl, ruffling the boy's hair while he was talking in quick and excited tones about how great Ringo was. Looking over at Laura-Mae now, one eyebrow was lifted, and his mouth was set in a straight line.  
     “Thanks again... I really appreciate...the chance...”  
     Shane looked at her for a silent moment and then nodded and gave her the faintest of smiles before he turned his attention back to his family.  
     “I'm guessing Glenn's gonna see you bright and early!” Dale said. “Poor boy's probably gonna be tired after all the excitement today. But he's a good kid -- you'll see.”  
     “Looking forward to it...” Although meeting a new person wasn't ever the highest thing on Laura-Mae's priority list, getting out of her RV and away from that ticking time bomb of a brain of hers... _That_ was pretty damn high on the list.


	11. Sick Tonight

**EPISODE XI**

**Sick Tonight**

★★★

     Ringo crunched away at fresh kibbles from her full bowl. After every crunch, chew, and swallow she would take the time to lick the crumbs from her mustached lips. Laura-Mae cast her semi-sunken eyes to the rearview mirror, to the reflection of the plastic bin filled to the very top with the highest quality food Ringo had probably ever had. She smiled, albeit weakly. As long as Ringo was okay, she would be okay too. Still, her stomach growled loudly. Laura-Mae tried to quench the hungry beast by throwing back a gulp or two from a half-full water bottle. She had never been so happy that she’d always substituted soda or tea for water before the apocalypse. Her stubbornness had somehow been rewarded by giving her nearly four full cases of bottled waters. And for now, that was what she had to keep her going.  
      The nausea, however, was making her stomach swim around as if it were some kind of raging sea monster that only lives in the terrified tales of ex-sailors. The hot flashes were something she’d grown accustomed to and familiar with, like an old friend from high school who had only just moved in down the street, popping in from time to time to bother her for a cup of sugar or a stick of butter. The pair had done a good job of keeping her awake. Perhaps _too_ good. From the driver’s seat, through the windshield Laura-Mae watched the sky shift from black, to gray, to pink and orange. It was a beautiful sight to behold in spite of everything, or maybe even because of it. It was a sight she swore to herself she’d try and take the time to appreciate like she once had. Like when she had first moved to Texas, a strange new land of wide-open plains and richly painted sunsets and sunrises in an endless sky. The birds nestled neatly in the breeze-rustled treetops were awake just before the sun rose. Their sweet songs filled the air, and she closed her eyes to listen closely to them.  
      Light footsteps came crunching down the dirt road. They grew closer to the Travelcraft by the second, and Laura-Mae was preemptively wondering if this might be that “Glenn” guy she’d heard so much about lately. The footsteps grew closer still, and so Laura-Mae tried to tuck her reluctance deep down inside and pushed herself up onto her feet. Balancing herself along the way, she stepped out onto the road and looked down towards camp.  
      Sure enough, a stranger to her was just about there, and he stopped short when he saw her come out to meet him. Laura-Mae recognized his maroon baseball cap from about a week prior, when Shane had called him up to form the patrol groups. He wore a meek smile and walked casually towards her, freeing one hand from the straps of the army-green backpack hung on his shoulders to offer her a polite wave. As he got closer Laura-Mae could see his short, shiny black hair poking out from under the orange bill of his hat.  
      “Uh, hey! I’m... I’m Glenn. You’re Laura, right?”  
      “Laura-Mae. Nice to meet you, Glenn.” She did her best to match his smile. “You ready to head out?”  
      “Yeah. Sure.”  
      “Cool. Just gimme a second to get my dog.”  
      “Oh, you’re bringing her?” His smile got a little wider.  
      “If that’s okay with you...?”  
      “Yeah, that’s fine! I’ll... I’ll be right out here.”  
      “Good deal. Shouldn’t take but a second.”  
      Glenn nodded, gripping the straps on his backpack and looking out into the forest.  
      Ringo had been waiting near the door, and she looked curiously past Laura-Mae as she stepped back in.  
      “Ready to go out on patrol? Huh, girl? Wanna go for a walk?”  
      Ringo timidly wagged her tail and her eyes flicked up to the leash on the table.  
      “That’s right, girl!” Laura-Mae reached for Pixie, but thought against it. Even if she did wind up needing it, in the state she was in it might just knock her on her ass. Instead she grabbed up her knife and shoved it into her front pocket -- the usual work of her and Ringo’s old routine. Ringo was ready and waiting by the time her leash was strung around Laura-Mae’s waist, and once it had been properly clipped on, her tail was going in a swift and sweeping side-to-side.  
      The two of them stepped neatly out of the Travelcraft, Laura-Mae trying her best to stand as tall as she could, to make it appear as though everything was just _dandy_ . Glenn turned to face them and grinned down at Ringo. She ducked her head down to a level height with her shoulders and her tail started to droop.  
      “It’s okay, Ringo... That’s Glenn! Glenn?” Although not quite reassured, the dog was at least content enough to stay quietly at her master’s side. Laura-Mae offered up a weak laugh. “Sorry. She’s a sweet girl, but... Strangers aren’t exactly her... _our_ ...thing.”  
      “I get it,” Glenn said casually while he started their trek a little further down the road. “Especially with the way things are now. Pretty much everyone back at camp is cool, though.”  
      “So I’ve heard...”  
      “I mean! You’re cool too! Or... Dale says you are, anyway.”  
      Laura-Mae chuckled under her breath. “He says you’re pretty cool too. Guess we’ll just have to see, huh?”  
      “Yeah,” he laughed nervously. “So, uh... Have you done a patrol before, or...?”  
      She fought the urge to frown. Rather than giving him a quick quip about how she was out there patrolling before it was _cool_ , she instead gave him a polite “Yes. Many times.”  
      “Oh, okay... Well...good!”  
      “...Yeah.” Laura-Mae set her eyes out into the forest, looking the same as it had the past two weeks since she’d gotten there. Trees, bushes, rocks...standard forest stuff.  
      “Thanks for getting Ringo some food, by the way,” she called up to Glenn from where she hung a couple meters back. He looked over his shoulder with a beaming grin.  
      “Hope she likes what I picked out! I went for the good stuff. Not like we gotta pay for it anymore, right?”  
      “Right... I don’t think she really cares...one way or another...”  
      His smile faded and he drooped his head down, looking dejected.  
      “But--” Laura-Mae piped in quickly, “ _I_ care. So... Thanks again. Nice to see her...eating the good stuff for a change.”  
      Glenn didn’t say anything, but he picked his head back up and nodded.  
      A short ways down the road he started to break off into the foliage, and Laura-Mae and Ringo trailed along neatly behind him. When Ringo stopped to take care of mother nature’s call, Laura-Mae gave Glenn a short “Hold up.”  
      He did, looking back with a curious and somewhat concerned expression. Once he glanced at Ringo, his eyes snapped away. “Oh. Right.”  
      Laura-Mae snickered. “Duty calls.”  
      “Heh. Yeah.”  
      Within moments Ringo had finished up, and her steps were that much lighter for it. She trotted up close to Glenn, and he tentatively held out his hand. She sniffed it and wagged her tail in hesitant but steady and feathery circles.  
      “Good girl,” Laura-Mae told her through a soft smile. Nausea rippled through her again, the writhing and wriggling sea monster, and she winced. Turning her head to the side, she had hoped Glenn hadn’t noticed, that she had hidden her pained expression in time. It seemed he hadn’t, as with a content and satisfied grin he picked the pace back up into the woods. Ringo tugged along, giving Laura-Mae a little jolt and setting her stumbling a few fatigued steps forward. Her bare feet had grown accustomed to the forest floor in the time she had been there, doing patrols of her own. Unless she traipsed upon a pinecone or perhaps a stray piece of glass -- unlikely way up here next to the quarry -- she was fine. Instead she was left to look out and around her to take in...more of the same. Same as always. Standard forest stuff.  
      “...You think...the patrols are gonna be going on...much longer?”  
      “I dunno,” Glenn sounded honest enough. “If I’m being straight with you...we haven’t really come across anything. The drive down to Atlanta was pretty quiet too.”  
      “Oh yeah... How... How’s it looking down there anyway?”  
      “Bad. _Really_ bad. I know the streets pretty well, but... There were geeks all over the place. I mean it was just _crawling_ with them.”  
      “Damn... Well... Good job getting outta there.”  
      “Yeah, well... It’s easy enough when I’ve only got me to worry about. You know what I mean?”  
      “...Kinda.”  
      “Oh yeah, that’s right. Ringo. Sorry.”  
      “No, man, it’s cool...”  
      “Oh, and your husband too! Uh...fiance?”  
      “...Marty. Yeah...” Laura-Mae just barely caught Glenn looking over his shoulder at her. The polite smile he had faded fast when he saw the dour expression she wore.  
      “Uh... Sorry.”  
      “Don’t... Don’t worry about it, man.”  
      And there was that silence. The silence that always came after someone brought Marty up. Was it because he didn’t know what to say? Or did he just not want to say the wrong thing? Whatever the case may have been, Laura-Mae didn’t have nearly enough energy to try and force a shift in conversation topic. So...in silence they stayed.  
      It wasn’t until a rustling out in the foliage caught their collective attention that Glenn finally spoke. At first he’d been stiff and alert. But after squinting his eyes and studying the source of the noise, he pushed out a relieved sigh.  
      “It’s just Daryl," he said matter-of-factly. "He’s usually out here in the mornings.”  
      “...Yeah.” Laura-Mae looked out after him. She could just barely make out Daryl’s silhouette, his back turned and stepping away from them. Ringo stiffly stood, her plume of a tail straight up in the air and her dark eyes peeking through her fringe and the foliage to watch him.  
      “He’s pretty quiet," Glenn told her. "But...he’s alright, I guess. It’s his _brother_ you gotta look out for.”  
     Laura-Mae said nothing, once again not wanting to waste energy on telling him he was preaching to the choir. She knew the Dixons better than perhaps anyone else in camp after all. Or, at the very least, the youngest Dixon knew her better than the others. But rather than voice this, she instead stared after Daryl until he was gone. She remembered their last interaction the day before. As she recalled, it had been a terrible one to say the least. Laura-Mae hoped he would still want to talk to her, but...

     ‘ _Why would he? He’s seen the_ **_real_ ** _you now._ ’

     Laura-Mae grimaced and glared down at her feet while she meekly marched past Glenn with Ringo’s paws plodding along behind her and her eyes still staring at where Daryl had been.  
     “C'mon,” she spat over to Glenn. He hadn't responded, but she heard him following her, his shoes crunching and snapping at twig after twig. Laura-Mae tried to pay no attention, tried not to let it bother her, but her mind had started to dig its torturous talons into her.

     ‘ _Daryl’s done with you... Dale stopped caring a long time ago... Shane_ **_never_ ** _liked your sorry ass... And_ **_this_ ** _guy..._ ’

     Laura-Mae sneaked a glance over her shoulder. Glenn's eyelids popped open when she caught him studying her. She stopped short. Ringo only barely noticed, almost running straight into Laura-Mae’s tense calf.

     ‘ _He’ll know the real you in no time._ ’

     “ _What_ ?” She practically snapped at the poor guy, spinning on her heels to face him. Ringo’s ears drooped and Glenn stopped and stayed a few feet away from her, gripping the straps of his backpack with white knuckles.  
      “Nothing. It's just... Are you okay?”  
      Laura-Mae frowned.  
      “I mean... You seemed fine just a few minutes ago.”  
      “ _So_ ?”  
      Glenn's eyes shifted a little under her harsh gaze, but managed to meet hers easily enough. “Did... Is it something to do with Daryl?”  
      Now she practically snarled, but stayed quiet and started to pace away from him with clenched fists while Ringo bumbled along behind her.  
      “I mean I could talk to him...if you wanted. If that's what's bothering you, you know?”  
      “Why do you care so much anyway?” She stopped in her tracks yet again, and this time Ringo did bump into her, but only just. “You... You don't even _know_ me, Glenn.”  
      “No, but... We've gotta help each other when we can.”  
      “...Why?” Laura-Mae was struck by the sincerity in his sentiment.  
      “Because... That's just... That's just what you _do_!” His tone hadn't raised, but he sounded all the more passionate.

     ‘ _Sounds like he's just as delusional as you!_ ’

     Laura-Mae sniffled and nodded her head.  
     “I just... I was kinda short with him yesterday," she said. "I...haven't been feeling like myself lately, I guess.”  
     “Is it because you're...worried about Marty?” Glenn asked the question gently. Ringo perked her ears up and looked curiously up at him, her tail timidly wafting to and fro.  
     Laura-Mae huffed out a sigh. “...Among other things.”  
     “...Like what?”  
     She cracked a smile. “You're pretty nosy, huh?”  
     Glenn shrunk into himself, kind of like a turtle.  
     “Sorry,” he said.  
     “No, uh... I get it. But, I... I'm good. It's just been a rough week is all.”  
     He seemed more at ease now that the dark cloud seemed to have passed over her. His shoulders relaxed, and his hesitant but genuine smile came back. She gestured with a flick of her chin for them to continue on, and so continue on they did.  
     More minutes passed, and Laura-Mae's vision started to grow dark at its edges, like a numb vignette photograph. She tried and failed to hide a grunt when more pain shot out from her empty belly, when the stupid heat flash of a high-school-friend-neighbor dropped in for a whole damn loaf of bread at the worst possible time. With a shaking arm she propped herself up on a tree, and Ringo was at her side in an instant, followed swiftly by Glenn.  
     “Whoa, you okay?” he asked.  
     “Yeah, I just... I stepped on something, I guess.”  
     Glenn looked around her feet, and then did a double-take.  
     “...Where are your shoes?”  
     Albeit weakly, Laura-Mae snorted. “I gave 'em up for Lent.” She could only hope her sarcasm might shine through her dull tone.  
     “That's...cool...” He lifted an eyebrow and awkwardly laughed.  
     “Nah, I just... It's my thing I guess. That and...having a dog. Kinda like...wearing a cap and...asking too many questions is _your_ thing.” Still she smiled, and still she propped herself up against the tree. In truth she was a little scared to try and push off of it, afraid she might push herself to fall down. So she just...leaned there.  
     “...Do you need some water?”  
     “There you go with...those damn questions!” Her stomach growled. Loudly. Ringo’s head tilted towards the sound. Glenn's eyes opened wide.  
     “You haven't eaten anything!” He sounded as though he had had an epiphany, as though he’d solved the hardest problem on a pop quiz.  
     “Huh? What? Don't be... Don't be ridiculous...” Laura-Mae wished she could go down into her bowels and give them a good talking to. But instead they gave _her_ a talking to, groaning and practically shouting from inside her pudgy, tiny torso.  
     “How long has it been since you ate?” Glenn sounded like a mother scolding her child for dropping chocolate pudding all over a brand-spanking-new white carpet.  
     “...Look, I--”  
     “How long?”  
     She groaned. “Today's my third day,” she finally gave up, sounding defeated. Glenn was already slipping his backpack off his shoulders, and Laura-Mae was already putting a shaky hand up to dismiss him. Ringo perked her ears up and watched Glenn closely. When she heard the crinkling of a plastic bag she licked her lips.  
     “Here,” Glenn pushed a snack-size bag of potato chips in Laura-Mae's direction. “It's all I've got on me now, but I'll bring you some more when we get back.”  
     Laura-Mae stared at the bag, her stomach feeling as though it was trying to punch its way out of her to yank it out of his hand itself.  
     “No, I--”  
     Glenn frowned and shook them expectantly. Ringo licked her chops again and sat promptly down, excitedly setting her front paws in a pretty posture. Finally Laura-Mae grasped them, _snatched_ them, and popped them open with haphazard haste. Once the pungent smell of fried potatoes and sour cream dust punched her in the nose, it was all over. While she completely ravished the bag, Glenn continued scolding her gently. Ringo stared pathetically up at her while the tasty-smelling treats were gobbled with greedy gusto.  
     “ _Why_ didn't you tell anyone? We've got more at camp! And I would have gotten you some if I'd known!”  
     “I know, Glenn...” Laura-Mae had already tipped the leftover crumbs back into her mouth, and was staring into the empty bag as though more chips might spontaneously appear if she looked hard enough. With a wilting frown she crumpled the crinkly bag up and shoved it into her pocket.  
     “I just...” There was no way she could explain her reasoning properly. How could she possibly tell Glenn that some detached, mirror image was inside  of her mind, telling her that she didn't _deserve_ to eat food? Let alone that she _agreed_ with it. “I...haven't really done anything to...earn it.” Laura-Mae wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.  
     Glenn looked distraught. “How can you say that?”  
     “...What?”  
     “It's... It's not about that! We have to help each other... Because...” His eyes shifted back and forth while he racked his mind for the right words.  
     Laura-Mae smiled. “Because that's just what you do, right?”  
     “Right!”  
     “Y’know... Dale was right about you, man. You're... You're alright. Thank you...”  
     “Don't thank me yet. You can do that after I bring you some more stuff to eat. We should head back.”  
     “No, but... No, I'll...”  
     “Look, I'm not gonna take no for an answer,” he smiled. “Come on. We had a pretty good look around. Let's get you back to your RV.”  
     “Yeah... Sure...”  
     Glenn was already turned around and leading them back towards the road. Ringo was still begging Laura-Mae for chips that no longer existed. Not in the bag, anyway.  
     “Sorry, girl,” Laura-Mae spoke to her quietly. “I went beast mode for a second there. Next bag is all you. Promise.”  
     Ringo sneezed and slouched and pouted while she trotted to walk a little closer to Glenn.

★★★

     Once the patrol party had made it back to the Travelcraft, Glenn gave Laura-Mae a quick reassurance he’d be back in a second and then started at a light jog back to camp. Laura-Mae didn't even bother to head in, although she did bother to pop the side door open to let Ringo in to go and get some well-deserved rest and a hearty drink of water. In a swift motion Laura-Mae tossed her leash in after her and then closed the door. She leaned against it and crossed her arms over her chest while she studied the strange sounds coming from her stomach.  
     Her eyes shifted out to where the Dixon campfire usually was, although of course it wouldn't be lit until later that night. Perhaps, she thought, she should go and apologize to Daryl later. She looked down at her feet and frowned.

     ‘ _Why bother? He doesn’t even remember you. And why would he?_ ’

     There was a rustling across the way, and Laura-Mae's eyes snapped up.  
     “Daryl...”  
     “...Hey.”  
     “What, uh... What are you...doing here?”  
     “Checkin’ on ya,” he said casually. “Y'all see anything out there?”  
     “Huh? Oh... Just... Standard forest stuff.” She cracked a weak smile. “There _was_ some weird _ape man_ out there though. Maybe a Sasquatch...”  
     Daryl squinted his eyes and his lips screwed into a sideways smirk.  
     “So you saw us out there, huh?”  
     “Mhmm. Glad Ringo's still alive. Figured you might o’ ate 'er by now.”  
     “Nah. She's nothin’ but fur 'n’ bones! ...Might make a good stew, though.” Her stomach growled, and Daryl looked a little caught off guard.  
     “Damn, I was jokin’...”  
     Laura-Mae's cheeks flushed. “Me too! I, uh...”  
     They both looked over at the sound of bustling footsteps and clinking cans. Glenn was hustling over with a cardboard box, presumably containing some generously-given goodies. Laura-Mae's mouth started to water.  
     “Oh, hey Daryl!” Glenn tried his best to give Daryl a friendly grin.  
     Daryl didn't say anything, only staring at him through slitted eyes. Glenn laughed nervously while his smile faded and he held the box out to Laura-Mae.  
     “It's not much, but...”  
     Laura-Mae took the box from him, and was caught off guard by the weight of it. She struggled a bit, but the promise of food seemed to give her all the energy she needed for the time being. Daryl inspected its contents, then flicked his eyes up at Laura-Mae. He stayed quiet.  
     “Shane gave me a little trouble, but...” Glenn trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.  
     “ _Screw_ him,” Daryl finally spoke up with a growl.  
     Laura-Mae smirked and scoffed and shook her head.  
     “You know what? Wait here,” she said. Without another word she turned and headed up into her RV. She set the box down on the kitchenette counter and walked towards the back of the Travelcraft to retrieve an unopened case of water. Although she still struggled with its weight and fumbled with the side door, she managed to make it all the way back to Glenn and Daryl. Glenn was already holding his hands up and shaking his head.  
     “No, take it,” Laura-Mae held it out to him. “This oughta shut him up. For now.”  
     Glenn sighed and reluctantly took the waters. “I dunno. Worth a shot... Thanks, Laura-Mae.”  
     “Sure. See ya around, man. Nice meetin’ ya.”  
     Glenn nodded, and then he was off, leaving Laura-Mae and Daryl on their own again.  
     “What was that all about?” he asked her once Glenn was out of earshot. Laura-Mae didn't really want to tell him. But more than that, she wanted to _eat_. So she gestured with her hand for him to follow her, and without any protest he did. But he stopped short once she'd walked into the Travelcraft.  
     “Come on!” Laura-Mae smiled down to him, holding the door open. “Mi casa es su casa, as they say.” And she did say it, sounding as white as the day she was born, maybe moreso. Daryl lifted an eyebrow, but stepped his hesitant way in. He looked all around, and watched Laura-Mae while she put up the cans and boxes of food into her cupboards.  
     “Hungry?” She turned to face him with a smile, holding up a can of baked beans. She was caught off guard at his firm frown.  
     “How come you didn't say nothin'?”  
     Laura-Mae stopped herself from rolling her eyes. Was she going to have to have the same conversation twice in one morning?  
     “Ringo had food!”  
     At the sound of her name Ringo came out of the back with her bedhead on full display. She timidly wagged her tail and paced over to Daryl, sniffing at his pant leg.  
     Maybe under different circumstances he would have greeted her. As it were, however, he was too busy glowering over at Laura-Mae.  
     “You coulda asked me for somethin’,” he told her.  
     “Yeah, but...”  
     “But nothin’! How long you been outta food?”  
     “Well I'm not outta food anymore!” She grinned, trying to dismiss the severity of his tone.  
     Daryl wasn't laughing. Or smiling. “This _ain't_ funny. What woulda happened if you didn't tell Glenn?”  
     “To be fair, I _didn't_ tell Glenn. ...He kinda pried it outta me.”  
     “ _Good_! You really so stubborn you gonna let yourself starve to death?”  
     “... _No_ ,” she pouted.  
     “Then _why_?”  
     “...Because I don't _deserve_ it, okay?!” Laura-Mae slammed the can she'd been holding onto the counter and Ringo jumped and skittered away from the both of them. Daryl stayed calmly still.  
     “Why not?” He was giving her the same steely stare he gave Shane a week ago. Or one close enough to it anyway.  
     “ _Because_ , I...” She couldn't say it out loud. It might have been true, but...  
     “ _Why_?”  
     “...Just because!” Laura-Mae crossed her arms and frowned. Daryl shook his head, but said nothing.  
     “Do you want some or not?” Laura-Mae started to dig around for her can opener.  
     “Nah.” At first he sounded agitated, but his tone shifted easily. “You have it...”  
     “Okay... I _will_... Thanks.” She cranked near desperately on the handle of the can opener. Once she'd pried the can open, she didn't hesitate to fumble around for a plastic spoon with her free hand. Heartily, greedily she started to shovel the food into her mouth. She barely had a chance to taste it before she was swallowing it down. She swore that she could feel it sliding down into her esophagus, down past her diaphragm and then splash down into the angry sea of her stomach acids.  
     Once she'd wolfed about half of it, she took a second to see what Daryl was doing. In all honesty she'd nearly forgotten he was there despite the fact he'd been standing right in front of her the whole time. His back was turned to her, and he was studying the glow-in-the-dark stars above her bed.  
     “...Pretty dumb, huh?” She gulped.  
     He only shook his head. Laura-Mae stayed quiet, finishing her beans a little more slowly. Ringo sat at her feet, staring up at her with her eyes twinkling through her messy bangs. When Laura-Mae noticed her, she sighed out the side of her softly smiling mouth.  
     “A promise is a promise,” she mumbled. Daryl looked over in time to see her spooning the rest of the beans into Ringo's bowl.  
     “You know what they say, Daryl!” Laura-Mae grinned when she noticed he had seen her. “The family that _farts_ together--”  
     “ _Stop_ ,” he groaned through a poorly-hidden smirk.  
     “C'mon! You know you like me a lot better when I'm jokin’!”  
     “I don't know ‘bout all that,” he was still faintly smiling. “Makes sense why you were bein’ so ornery before, now.”  
     “Yeah...” Laura-Mae set the empty can down on the counter and twiddled her thumbs. “Sorr-- I mean, uh... I _apologize_.”  
     “Well you hadn't ate anything in...”  
     “...Two days at that... _particular_ point.”  
     Daryl shook his head, but drew in a breath that looked as though it steadied him. “Just say somethin' next time, alright?”  
     Laura-Mae looked off to the side.  
     “ _Alright_?” He prompted her.  
     “Alright,” she sighed.

     ‘ _Maybe... Maybe they do care about me...these people..._ ’

     With a soft smile she looked up at Daryl. “...Thanks for caring.”  
     He practically jumped, and shot his eyes away from her.  
     “ _Whatever_ ,” he mumbled. “I'll just get Marty to pay me back when he gets here.” Mentioning his name, Daryl looked back over at Laura-Mae. At first she gave him a flabbergasted face. But then her slack lips formed a grin.  
     “For all the pain and sufferin’ of lookin’ after _my_ goofy ass, huh?”  
     “...I didn't say it,” he smirked.  
     Laura-Mae snickered. “Y'know, I wouldn't o’ let you in if I knew you were gonna be talkin’ all that shit!”  
     “Just tryin’ to be a good house guest. If you can call this a _house_ ,” Daryl gestured loosely around the Travelcraft.  
     “Oh! You ain't got no room to talk, _tent boy_!”  
     “Yeah, yeah,” he rolled his eyes.  
     “Well go on if you hate my house so much!” Laura-Mae started walking closer to him, shooing him with her hands.  
     Daryl smirked. “I gotta get back out there anyway.”  
     “Well, good! More beans for me.”  
     “Not too many, I hope.”  
     “...No promises.”  
     “Tch.” Daryl grabbed at the door handle, but stopped himself short. “Hey, uh... Gonna be another big dinner in the clearing tonight.”  
     “Oh!” Laura-Mae's eyes were already shifting this way and that while she preemptively thought of an excuse not to show up.  
     “You oughta come out... Just for a little while.”  
     “...Are you gonna be there?”  
     He nodded.  
     “... _Okay_ ,” she mock groaned. It was barely there, but he wore a soft smile. He nodded, then he was out the door. Once she'd heard his boots stepping away, Laura-Mae exhaled deeply.  
     “Great... Now I _have_ to go...” But, reflecting on it, at least she would know plenty of people there this time around. At least enough for her to feel semi-comfortable. Semi-sociable. And maybe, just maybe, everything would go fine. But... Perhaps it was just her dwindling depression, or maybe it was the beans, but a strange sensation started swimming around in her guts.


	12. Campfire

**EPISODE XII**

**Campfire**

**★★★**

     ‘ _ Breathe in... Breathe out... Just... _ **_breathe_ ** _. _ ’

     For now at least, Laura-Mae's mind and body were in semi-synchronicity. That was a good thing too, as she would assuredly need it if she wanted to... _ keep appearances _ . Ringo was trekking several steps ahead of her, the full length of her leash extending from Laura-Mae's placid palm. A cool breeze gusted past both of them and whipped Laura-Mae's hair briefly up into her face, and with a free hand she tucked a quarrelsome curl behind her ear. In the near distance there was a low murmur of voices, just down the road and in the clearing.  
      Laura-Mae and Ringo were arriving fashionably late. This was a trick she had picked up even before the end times. Wait until everyone else got there, then she only had to say hello  _ once _ . Furthermore, the faster the greetings and introductions were over, the faster she could blend into the background and disappear. Just the way she liked it.  
      Some stars were twinkling up in the dusk sky, barely blinking in the dusty pink and purple horizon. Intermittent bursts of laughter had been spontaneously erupting ever since the sun was just barely beginning to set. Surely, Laura-Mae mused, everyone would be there by now. It had certainly  _ sounded _ like they were. And, stepping into the clearing atop the quarry, she noticed that indeed they were. At first no one noticed her, and she wondered if maybe she might be able to silently slip in. Perhaps she could have, if not for Merle boisterously announcing her presence on her more than reluctant behalf.  
      “Well look who's finally comin’ out to say hello!” He raised a bottle of something or other high into the air in some kind of impromptu, solo  _ cheers _ . The flames flickering from the center of the large group illuminated his face, blending in with the already red hue on his cheeks. Everyone --  _ everyone _ sat around the campfire turned to look at her. Laura-Mae saw a flash of white, but blinked her eyes and gave the whole lot of them the biggest, friendliest and most polite smile she could possibly pull off.  
      “H-Hey, guys!” She wanted to shrink into herself, to hide away or somehow magically disappear altogether. Instead she ducked her head down and made a beeline for Merle, simply assuming that Daryl would be sitting beside him. He was, of course, and Laura-Mae was nearly thrown off by the pleasant and seemingly genuine smile he had on his face.  
      Conversation around the campfire fell easily back into its earlier casual tone, with sets of folks splitting off into their own murmurings, and an overarching topic being spoken by those with the loudest voices -- something about the all wild shit Shane used to do when he was a kid. To Laura-Mae it was all a blur, and she attempted to distract herself by directing Ringo to lie down at her side.  
      “Glad you could make it,” Daryl told her while the pair of them got cozy on the dirt just next to him. Cozy as they could, anyway.  
      “Oh, yeah?” Laura-Mae gave him a big, cheesy grin. “Figured I'd make ya wait!”  
      “No kiddin’,” he smirked. “You ain't really missed nothin’, though.”  
      “Looks like Merle  _ wrastled _ a beer away from someone.” Her eyes shifted over to the two unopened bottles on the ground just beside the leg of his fold up chair.  
      “Tch. The kid got 'em from Atlanta. Merle claimed half of 'em.”  
      “And I'm guessing he wanted them all?”  
      “He woulda drank 'em all too.” He gestured with a quick flick of his thumb in their direction. “Want one?”  
      “Nah, that's alright. Beer doesn't really do it for me. I'm more of a Fireball gal myself.”  
      “Figures.”  
      “Oh, whatever!” Laura-Mae scoffed through an only  _ half _ -offended smile. “You're just always judgin’ me, ain't ya? I don't know why I hang out with you so much.”  
      “...Me neither.” There was a faint somber tone in his voice.  
      “You're pretty tolerable, I guess.” Laura-Mae nudged at his arm with her elbow and seemed to draw him out of the sullen, sulky space he was drifting off to. Softly he smiled, and then he looked back at the fire in the middle of them all.  
      Dale leaned over from beside someone Laura-Mae couldn’t quite recognize -- a lanky white guy with a weathered black cap and a dour frown poking through his shaggy, stubbly black beard. With a familiar grin Dale patted roughly at her shoulder, and the sour guy paid them no mind.  
      “Good to see ya! Hey, why don't you pull up a chair?”  
      “That's okay! I like sitting on the ground. I'm an earth sign, y'know? Makes me feel, like,  _ totally connected _ , man.” She chuckled along with her silly statement.  
      “Sounds about right," Dale chuckled right along. "Say, you got plenty to eat?”  
      Laura-Mae pondered briefly if Glenn or maybe even Shane had told him about her “voluntary” fasting.  
      “Yeah, thanks man!” she told him simply, trying not to think about it.  
      “And thank  _ you _ for the water! A precious commodity these days.”  
      “Yeah, well... Can't get somethin’ for nothin’, huh?”  
      Dale only smiled and nodded, then leaned back to join his gloomy friend in conversation.  
      “Hey, Laura-Mae!” a voice called from somewhere just off to the side.  
      Amy was waving widely at her when she sheepishly turned to face the greeting. She was sitting next to Andrea, just opposite Dale. Laura-Mae returned the gesture shyly, and her cheeks flushed when Andrea gave her a small wave as well.  
      “You brought your dog!” Amy said brightly. “Can I come see her?”  
      “Uh... Yeah, sure!” Laura-Mae looked over her shoulder in time to notice Daryl drawing his hand away from Ringo and shifting a stoic gaze Amy’s way while she stepped over to them. Ringo looked up at her, seeming anxious at first, but her tail started to timidly wag.  
      “Hi, Ringo!” Amy greeted her in her usual sugary sweet tone. “It is Ringo, right?” While Laura-Mae was nodding in a silent response, she offered Ringo the back of her hand and Ringo sniffed at it. She let out an excited but soft cry and then sneezed. Amy gave her a delighted giggle and lowered herself down onto her knees beside her, and Ringo rolled over to expose her spotted pink tummy.  
      “Oh my god, she is just the  _ cutest _ !" Amy said while she scratched at Ringo's belly and sent her back leg kicking. "And she's so sweet!"  
      “Aw, thanks," Laura-Mae's blushed and combed her fingers through Ringo’s moppy fringe. "She just loves the attention, don't let her fool ya." She patted Ringo's head and watched with an amused smirk as her tail slapped against Daryl's thigh. Daryl was watching her wallow in all the love she was getting, trying and failing by the looks of it to hide a smile.  
      Glenn’s voice rose above the gentle murmurs from across the campfire.  
      “You know what this reminds me of?” he aimed the question to no one in particular. To what looked to be his shy chagrin he had garnered the attention of everyone, and all their chatting came to an abrupt end.  
      “What's that?” Dale politely prompted.  
      “It's kinda like...” Glenn’s reddening cheeks gave away how flustered he became, but he pushed on regardless. “Kinda like Red Dead Redemption!”  
      Laura-Mae perked up at the mention, yet a sudden sadness gripped her at the thought that she'd never be able to play it again...or any of her other favorite games for that matter.  
      “...What is that, a movie or something?” Andrea asked somewhat cautiously.  
      “It's, uh...” Glenn stammered in the cool quiet. “It's a video game. You... You play as a cowboy? And...sometimes you can find people camping...and you can sit and talk to them... And...it's nice!”  
      More stiff silence followed, blemished only by the continued crackling of the campfire, and Glenn's already weak smile had started to fade.  
      Daryl was the one who finally spoke up.  
      “Ain't nobody else plays video games, ya  _ nerd _ .” He was smirking while he talked, and it grew into a grin when he garnered a few laughs from the group. Even Glenn managed to get his smile back.  
      “Yeah, yeah...” Glenn rolled his eyes.  
      “Well, hey...” Laura-Mae dared to speak up a little. “If liking Red Dead Redemption makes you a nerd, then I'm one too!”  
      “...Alright,” Daryl looked over at her. “Then you're both big damn  _ nerds _ !”  
      Now the whole group burst into jovial laughter. Even she and Glenn shared a grinning glimpse at one another across the campfire. Once all their laughing had settled down, the group split off into their own little conversations once again. Amy gave Ringo one last scratch and a friendly wave to Laura-Mae before she paced back over to her spot next to Andrea.  
      Laura-Mae pulled her legs up to herself, and hugged her arms loosely around them. With a dreamy and serene smile she listened in here and there. It seemed the mention of video games had Carl asking Lori if he would ever get to play any of his again. Shane was telling him there were more than enough fun things to do in camp, like catching frogs. Dale and his brooding buddy were exchanging mechanic advice. Really there were too many different topics going on all at once for Laura-Mae to pick up on them all. But for the most part, and as much as she hated to admit it, she was just enjoying the company.  
      “...I wish Marty could be here,” she mumbled, more to herself than anyone else.  
      “He will be,” Daryl told her. She looked over at him, somewhat surprised he had even heard her. “Won’t be long now.”  
      “You... You really think so?”  
      He nodded, and his eyes didn’t shift away from her, nor did he fidget with his fingers or tug his earlobe or do anything else that might give her the impression he didn’t truly believe what he was saying.  
      For some reason that choked Laura-Mae up. The fact that Daryl seemed like he did genuinely believe in Marty...just as much as she did. Or maybe he was just saying it for her. Either way...she appreciated it more than she could put into words.  
      “...Thank you, Daryl,” she said softly.  
      Merle stood up and stumbled off to the side just a tad. He wore a sloppy smile on his face, and he was still clutching his beer bottle by its long neck.  
      “A'ight,” he said, “Time to turn in, baby brother! We'll see you  _ losers _ later,” he grinned. No one said anything, and their collective faces were frowning and apprehensive. Merle's lips tugged easily into a snarl.  
      “Fine! Screw the lot o’ ya!” He slurred while he hauled his other two beers haplessly into the crook of his arm. “C'mon,” he spat over to Daryl. He stood and glowered at his older brother, starting after him while the others seemed all too eager to resume their earlier activity. Laura-Mae stood as well and was about to follow right behind them both.  
      “Nah,” Daryl told her. “You oughta stay here.”  
      Laura-Mae studied him for a brief moment, taking note of his dark expression.  
      “ _ C'mon _ !” Merle shouted over his shoulder as he stumbled through the underbrush.  
      “That's okay,” Laura-Mae nodded with a determined look on her face. “I've dealt with plenty of drunkards in my day!” She tried to smile and Daryl returned it, barely. Without another word he went after Merle. Laura-Mae gave Ringo's leash a flick, but she was already up and pacing behind Daryl.

★★★

     When the trio reached the Dixon campfire, Merle was already there and making a sloppy display of trying to put a fire together. When he caught sight of Daryl, he flicked his head over at the unlit pile of kindling.  
      Daryl ducked his head down and got to work, pushing out a brisk “tch” under his breath. Merle watched him for a moment, and then did a double-take when he noticed Laura-Mae and Ringo standing just inside their little clearing.  
      A big grin spread onto his face.  
      “Well  _ hey _ there! Elly May! ...Whatever the  _ hell _ your name is!”  
      Daryl glanced over at them, and watched Merle like a hawk while he sat down in his usual spot on the log.  
      “Hope you don't mind if I join ya,” Laura-Mae smiled politely.  
      “Naw! 'Course not! You 'member what I said, don't ya? ‘Cause  _ I _ 'member  _ you _ givin’ the boss-man the ol’ what-for!” He guffawed and popped the top on another bottle, throwing the cap over his shoulder. “What a damn show! Makes me wish he'd come over here 'n’ try some shit again!”  
      “Yeah, well,” Laura-Mae chuckled nervously. “I'm glad he got the message. I'd hate to have to open up a can o’ whoopass on 'im!”  
      Merle laughed hoarsely and threw back a gulp or three. He sat himself down on his usual stump, undoing his belt same as he always did. Daryl was still glaring at him, his icy eyes unmoving and unblinking. Laura-Mae guided Ringo along, and instructed her and told her where to lie down. Ringo, already exhausted from getting too much sleep earlier that day, was too eager to do so. She rested her scruffy chin on her front paws while Laura-Mae sat down next to her.  
      “You 'n’ that Chinese fella find anything out there?” Merle asked after a couple more gulps. Before Laura-Mae had a chance to answer, he was rambling on. “Ain't like there's anything out there anyway! Boss-man just wastin’ our damn time!”  
      “You think so?” Laura-Mae asked the question genuinely.  
      “Shoot yeah! Ain't been nothin’ out there for the past week! Chinese feller said they're all in Atlanta!  _ Atlanta _ ! And that's a ways off, ain't it?”  
      “Yeah... Maybe Shane'll get us doin’ other stuff... Maybe thin out the patrols a little.”  
      “Fat chance! He's just gonna keep workin’ us to the bone...while  _ he _ gets to strut around 'n’...yell at everybody!”  
      “Oh, yeah!” Laura-Mae puffed up her chest, and mimicked Shane walking around. “I'm  _ Shane _ !” Her voice was low, mocking. “I have a big gun, so  _ I  _ get to run the show!”  
      In an instant Merle was almost beside himself with laughter. Laura-Mae pushed on, chuffed with her reception.  
      “Oh,  _ I  _ know what's best for everyone! Because  _ I  _ got here first! Not because I have a  _ tiny dick _ or anything!”  
      Merle hooped and hollered and slapped at his knee, leaning back until he was almost falling off his stump. Laura-Mae cast something of a triumphant grin over at Daryl, but he wasn't laughing, or even smiling. He was still just staring daggers at Merle, as though he were waiting for something. Laura-Mae gulped, and absently started to pet Ringo who, despite the ruckus, was still fast asleep.  
      Merle calmed himself in the sudden silence, and he threw back another few good chugs. Quietly, his eyelids drooping, he looked between Daryl and Laura-Mae. She took note of how Daryl cast his once intense eyes down into the dirt when they had nearly met Merle's. Her lips pulled down into a frown.  
      “What'sa matter?” Merle slurred.  
      “Huh?” Laura-Mae sat up straight and looked over at him.  
      “You 'n’  _ Darylina _ ...lookin’ all... _ sad _ . What, y'all don't like ol’ Merle anymore?”  
      Daryl glared back over at him, unabashedly. Laura-Mae gulped again, but she gave Merle a big grin.  
      “That ain't true! Why wouldn't we like you, huh? You're a regular ol’ party animal!”  
      Merle seemed satisfied, a sloppy smile quivering onto his lips. “Shoot yeah I am!” He threw back the rest of his beer, chugging it down until he let out a loud belch.  
      “Nice!” Laura-Mae chuckled. Merle didn't respond, only cracking open his last beer. He looked around his immediate area and frowned.  
      “Damn Chinaman...gettin’ greedy with the booze!”  
      Laura-Mae frowned. “Are you talking about  _ Glenn _ ? I don't think he's Chinese, dude.”  
      “Well what is 'e then, huh?” Merle swallowed down a swig or three.  
      Laura-Mae's cheeks flushed and she cleared her throat. “I uh... I'm...not too sure. I-I didn’t think to ask.”  
      Merle smirked. “S'alright! They all look the damn same anyway.”  
      “Uh...” Laura-Mae stammered, unsure of what to say. Thankfully for her, Merle continued right along. But as he spoke more and more, she became less and less thankful.  
      “ _ Yeah _ ,” Merle hissed. “We let too many o’  _ them _ in. Bunch o’ damn animals...”  
      “...Who?” Laura-Mae had a sick feeling she'd regret asking. She did.  
      “ _ Them _ ! Back there,” he jerked his head back towards camp. “Whole damn family o’ wetbacks and one too many nig--”  
      “ _ Whoa there _ !” Laura-Mae threw her hands up, and threw her gaze over her shoulder, as though the folks at the fire might hear him.  
      “ _ What _ ?” Merle spat.  
      Laura-Mae looked over to Daryl for a show of support, but there was none. He was back to watching Merle with a fiery gaze.  
      “ _ Dude _ , you can't just... That's not cool, man!” She was half pleading with him.  
      Merle grimaced over at her. “Hey, I thought  _ you _ was cool! I didn't know...you were one o’ them liberal  _ hippie _ bitches!”  
      Laura-Mae sat up straight and furrowed her eyebrows down, somewhat taken aback by Merle's sudden shift in tone. Ringo's head came slowly up, and her stare at him was nearly as intense as Daryl's.  
      Laura-Mae frowned. “ _ Me _ ? I thought  _ you _ were cool, dude! I... I stood up for you!”  
      “Yeah, what d'you care, huh? You ain't one o’ them!”  
      Now her frown pulled into a neat scowl. “Of  _ course _ I am. I’m a human. Like you, and the rest of us.”  
      “ _ They _ ain't human.  _ They're _ beneath us.”  
      She clenched her hands into shaking fists, and Ringo started to growl. Laura-Mae unfurled one hand long enough to pat at her head and reassure her as best she could.  
      “Why you gettin’ your panties in a twist, huh?” Merle sounded as though he were challenging her. He drank down a few more gulps of beer.  
      Laura-Mae glared at him.  
      “Not that it even matters...but my fiance is Mexican... And I'm not gonna sit here and just listen you talk shit about--”  
      “Your  _ fiance _ ,” Merle grinned a snarky little grin, like he’d just gotten access to some kind of detonator for a big, bad bomb.  
      “ _ Merle _ ,” Daryl finally spoke. He was ignored entirely.  
      “Where is he anyway? He off havin’ a  _ siesta _ , huh?” Merle kept that devilishly delighted smirk plastered on his decidedly ugly mug. “Or you think...he's  _ muy muerto _ ?”  
      In a swift movement Laura-Mae stood to her feet, both her tiny hands balled into shaking fists.  
      “ _ Screw you _ ,” she told him through her clenched teeth, with tears stinging in her squinted-up eyes.  
      “Screw  _ me _ ?” Merle shouted and jumped up, holding the waist of his pants with his free hand. Daryl was up right after him, but stayed where he was. “Screw  _ you _ , bitch!” Merle pointed a grimy index finger at her from around the neck of his bottle.  
      “Merle!” Daryl snapped.  
      A growl rumbled deep in Ringo's throat, and she lowered her head and glared at Merle with wide eyes. Laura-Mae absently stepped to stand in front of her and, god knows why, listened to Merle as he continued his drunken tirade.  
      “You think you're better'n me, huh bitch? You ain't shit!” He was hollering, and Daryl stomped over to him, maybe to calm him down or maybe to shut him up. Regardless of his intentions, it had the complete opposite effect. Merle let go of his pants long enough to violently shove Daryl away from him, sending him landing on his rear.  
      “ _ Hey _ !” Laura-Mae shouted, “Leave him  _ alone _ !” She darted over to Daryl to help him up. Ringo was tugged along behind her, and she did her best to stay far away from Merle.  
      “Get the  _ hell _ outta here!” Merle kept yelling at her.  
      “Merle, stop it!” Daryl spat, dismissing Laura-Mae's outstretched hand and hauling himself to his feet.  
      “You think you're better'n me too, don'tcha? Well you can get the hell outta here too! I don't  _ need _ you! Never did!”  
      “Come on, Daryl,” Laura-Mae pleaded with him as though Merle wasn’t even there. “You can stay at my place 'til he sobers up.”  
      Daryl’s eyes shifted between them, and he shook his head.  
      Merle shoved Daryl again and sent him stumbling back and falling against Laura-Mae. She steadied the both of them easily enough, and found herself practically hiding behind him, giving Merle the meanest look she could muster.  
      “Get outta here, I said!” Merle hollered at them both. Ringo started to bark now. “Get that mangy thing outta here too! I don't need  _ none o’ ya _ !”  
      Laura-Mae was the first to make a move. She grabbed Daryl by the wrist and started to pull him behind her while she stomped away. Ringo had no qualms about following right along, her big fluffy tail nearly tucked between her back legs.  
      “Y’know, big titties don't count on fat chicks!” Merle roared after them once they'd gotten further away. Laura-Mae wanted nothing more than to make a quick quip about what she could only assume was the world's smallest dick, but she didn’t. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. Instead, she kept dragging Daryl away by his wrist, only stopping once they'd reached the dirt road and Daryl finally snatched his arm away.  
      “Are... Are you okay, Daryl?” Laura-Mae asked him gently.  
      “I'm  _ fine _ !” He snapped back at her. Her eyelids fluttered, and her heart faltered. He seemed to calm himself, seeing her crestfallen expression. “...You shouldn't o’ followed me,” he finally mumbled.  
      “Yeah... Point taken... Look, uh...” Laura-Mae cast a worried glance back into the woods, back to the Dixon campfire nestled deep within it. “I know you're just gonna say no again, but... I don't think you should go back there. Not...not tonight, anyway.”  
      Daryl looked back over his shoulder and followed her line of sight before letting out a restrained sigh he had tried and failed to suppress.  
      “If it makes you more comfortable, I can sleep on the roof!” Laura-Mae smiled, though it was a weak one. Adrenaline was still rushing through her from her heated argument with Merle mere moments before. It was as though she could still feel his drunken rage following them, trying to choke her out.  
      “Wherever you wanna sleep...let's just go. Come on.” She lead Ringo and Daryl the rest of the short way down the road. Once all three of them were in the Travelcraft, she locked the door behind them and let out a breath of deep relief.  
      Daryl stood stiff in front of the couch, looking awkward and unsure of what to do next.  
      “Please...have a seat,” Laura-Mae extended her hand out to the couch before bending over and unclipping Ringo's leash. Daryl sat on the very edge of the sofa, still completely tense. He laced his fingers tightly together, and his uneasy gaze went right up to her makeshift galaxy, same as the last time he was in her RV.  
      “He makes the rest of us look bad, you know,” Laura-Mae frowned while she spoke. Daryl didn't respond, but his gaze fell away and down to the ground. He scowled at his boots, tight-lipped.  
      She shook her head and sighed. “Sor--” She saw him stiffen a little more and cleared her throat. “...Need anything to eat? Drink?”  
      He shook his head.  
      “...Okay.” Laura-Mae ran her fingers through her mussed hair. Ringo paced up, her mustache dripping with lukewarm water. Laura-Mae scratched at her head, but Ringo pushed past her and poked at Daryl's arm with her nose. He flinched, as though snapping out of a trance, and he gave Ringo a confused look. She sat down and whined up at him, the tip of her tail curled and tentatively wagging.  
      “She's just checkin’ on ya,” Laura-Mae offered him a smile. “She does that. She can sense it, I think... Dogs and their weird telepathy...” She chuckled weakly while she sat down at the dinette table and clicked on the battery-powered lantern rested atop it. Daryl patted at Ringo's head, and she craned her neck to try and lick at his face. He sputtered and leaned away from her, but there was a small smile on his face.  
      “Okay Ringo,” Laura-Mae told her, “good job. Go on, go lay down!”  
      Reluctantly she did. Her head was hung low while her claws clacked back to her bed and jumped up into it.  
      “Sure you're not hungry?”  
      Daryl only shook his head again.  
      Laura-Mae sighed. “Look, I uh... I didn't mean to... _ instigate _ anything back there.”  
      “You shouldn't o’ come,” he told her gruffly.  
      “Yeah, I... I know that now. Thought... Thought just 'cause I grew up with a drunkard for a dad I could handle it. Then again...my dad never exactly started talking shit about Marty.”  
      “I told you not to.”  
      “Yeah... Hey, at least you don't have to sleep in a tent tonight, right?” She beamed a smile over at him, doing her best to quell her ever-present jitters.  
      “...Sorry for what Merle said...’bout Marty.”  
      “Nah,” Laura-Mae's smile faded a bit, but it was still there as she gave him a dismissive wave. “If he was here he woulda laughed. And he woulda shot somethin’ even better right back at 'im. Marty's good with that kinda stuff. Me? Not so much.”  
      “Tch... You do better with Merle than just about anyone else in camp...”  
      “Well... That's 'cause I can take someone joking around -- hell, even totally talking shit about  _ me _ . But... I can't let people just...spout hatred off when it comes to the people I care about, y'know? Not... Not if I can help it, anyway.”  
      “...Like with Shane?”  
      “Like with  _ Shane _ ,” she nodded her affirmation. “But... I ain't proud of it... Never am... Always coulda handled it better. Even with Merle...”  
      Daryl shook his head. “...He had it comin’. Someone's gotta set 'im straight every now and then.”  
      “Yeah, but that's usually your job, huh?”  
      “...Nah.” He sounded downtrodden. Laura-Mae studied his face for a moment, until he looked over at her. Their gazes met and locked for a moment, and she frowned.  
      “You shouldn't let him push you around like that...”  
      He said nothing in response, only looking away with a pouting scowl. Laura-Mae sighed and absently tapped her fingertips on the table top.  
      “Well... I guess it's not really my place to say... I just...” She looked down at her fingers, and curled them into a light fist. “You seem like a good guy to me... You don't... You don't deserve that, man...” In the corner of her eyes she saw him look over at her, but she couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes again.

     ‘ _ But I do? _ ’

     In the newfound silence, that voice in her head nearly startled her. She was left feeling uneasy at how calm and collected it sounded.

     ‘ _ Of course you do. _ ’

     Nice one. Or so she sarcastically thought to herself in spite of it. Her fist grew a tad tighter. Suddenly Daryl seemed as though he was far, far away -- off in another galaxy altogether. Her eyes stung and stayed locked down onto the table, and her muscles grew taut.

     ‘ _ Just look at what  _ **_you_ ** _ do. Yell at people...drive them apart... You get them close and then you  _ **_crush_ ** _ th--’ _

     “Hey,” Daryl gently spoke up.  
      Laura-Mae sat upright, sincerely startled, and her fluttering eyelids snapped open.   
      “Huh? What? Did you, uh... Did you say something?” With a meek smile she tried to push it off. How long had she been sitting there like that?

     ‘ _ Better he finds out just how crazy you are before he gets attached. It's too late for poor Marty. Not that it really matters anymore. _ ’

     “...Y’alright?” he asked.  
      “Uh... Yeah! Yeah, totally!” she lied. He stared at her, as though he were waiting for her to crack. And, much to her dismay, she did. Why oh why did she always seem to wind up crying around Daryl?

     ‘ _ Because you're pathetic. Duh.’ _

     Laura-Mae bit her trembling lip and choked back a sob. She was glad for the dim light in the RV, the flickering light from the lamp barely able to illuminate even inches around itself. Her head drooped down, and her frizzy hair fell around her face. The fist still atop the table began to shake.  
      Daryl said nothing, as though he were still waiting. And for what? Did he get some kind of sick pleasure from watching her suffer? No... That was her job. Now, finally, she let out a pathetic chuckle. When she sat back up her cheeks were shining with tears.  
      “Don't mind me,” she smiled and wiped them away, “just...been dealin’ with a lot lately... I know we all have, but... Don't make it any easier,” she sniffled.  
      “S'alright,” he told her calmly.  
      It was as though a dam burst open. At first she only stared at him miserably and then, all at once, she was overcome with shaking sobs. Ringo was at her side in the next moment, singing her sorrowful song of sympathy up to her. Laura-Mae only pushed her wet, miserable face into her hands and shook her head. Daryl didn't put his hand on her shoulder, or get up to go and hug her. But he didn't leave either. And, somehow, just having someone there made her feel a little bit better.  
      While she cried she thought of the same things she always did. She thought about Marty, and how he wasn’t there, and wondering why. She thought about how unfair it was that the world had seemed to end, seemed to wait until the worst possible time to just up and quit on everyone. And, of course, just like she always did, she thought about her dad.  
      Within the next couple of minutes she was sniffling and wiping her face on the backs of her hands. A shaky smile was on her still-quivering lips, and she took no shame in wiping her snotty nose onto her sleeve. Daryl didn't look as though he minded, and Laura-Mae was thankful for that.  
      “Sorry,” she let the word slip. But she didn't take it back this time. “I just...” She pushed out an airy sigh. “I know it's gonna sound... _ batshit crazy _ , but... It's like... It’s like there's this  _ voice _ inside my head. And it's just...constantly talking shit, y'know?” She shook her head. “Like it tells me all kinds of...fucked up things. Like how pathetic I am... How Marty’s probably dead, and... And how maybe my dad’s dead too. How maybe I'm  _ glad _ he's dead. And... And...” Her eyelids squeezed tightly shut, expelling a few leftover tears.  
      “Maybe,” she said, “Maybe I  _ am _ ...” The voice that left her was dark, almost unfamiliar, and it sent a shiver rippling through her. “I mean... How... How can you do that to anyone? Let alone...your own kid...” Her fingernails dug into the warm and clammy flesh of her palms to make little crescent-shaped craters. “But... At the same time... He's my  _ dad _ ... I... It’s... It’s hard to...explain...”  
      Daryl finally spoke, smooth and sincere.  
      “My old man... He used to beat the hell outta me just about every day of my life.”  
      Laura-Mae shifted her surprised eyes over to him. She could feel how puffy they were, but she didn't dare look away from him. Not until he said his piece.  
      “And when the time came...and I had to put him outta his misery... I couldn't do it... I shoulda  _ wanted _ it. Shoulda been happy to do it. But... I couldn't.”  
      She drew in a shaky breath. “Daryl... I... I'm sorry.”  
      “...Me too.”  
      Unsurprisingly, a deep and still silence fell over the both of them. It was as though the curtain had finally been dropped on a long, overly-dramatic play. And the only two folks who had sat through the whole thing were left feeling a kind of way that could only be described as... _ numb _ . Laura-Mae finally broke her still stinging gaze away, and the corners of her lips pulled down just so.  
      “I'm guessing...he got bit, huh?”  
      “...Mhm. Right at the start.”  
      “Damn...” The word left her in a single breath. She wasn’t sure what else to say. What else could she have possibly said?  
      “Better'n havin’ to live through it... And better'n not knowing.”  
      Laura-Mae glanced briskly back over at him. “Yeah... Yeah, you're right. But... I can't find it in myself...to go and find out.”  
      “Can't blame ya. But... I get it. I know...how you...how you  _ feel _ .” Daryl spat the last word out, like it was some kind of terrible curse. That, in spite of everything, made Laura-Mae crack a smile.  
      “...You do, don't you?” She snickered softly. “Guess it makes sense...why we get along so well, huh? ...We're kindred spirits, you 'n' me!”  
      Daryl stayed quiet.  
      She sniffled and grinned over at him. “Or maybe you're just good at putting up with my shit. Either way... Thanks. I mean it.”  
      He nodded, and he looked away from her.  
      “You ain’t pathetic, neither,” he told her through a meager mumble.  
      Laura-Mae stayed quiet.  
      It was nice of him to say, really, but... She frowned.  
      “And Marty ain’t dead,” he told her more firmly. “And he’ll come get ya. He will.”  
      “...You really think so, huh?” It wasn’t so much of a question. It was more of some kind of self-confirmation. A hesitantly unbelieving self-confirmation, but one nonetheless.  
      “I know it,” Daryl said.  
      “Yeah...” And there was that silence again. But it didn’t last, cut through by a curt sigh from Laura-Mae who ran her fingers once again through her frizzy hair and pulled it tightly down against her scalp.  
      “I miss him so much,” she said. “On top of all the worrying...all the wondering... I just... I'd give anything to... To hold him and...tell him how much I love him...” She sniffled. “I’d give anything just to hear his voice again,” she said in a shaky voice. “Anything...”  
      Daryl stared down at his boots.  
      “This is my worst nightmare,” Laura-Mae told him. “ _ Literally _ .” Somehow she managed another weak, miserable excuse of a laugh. “I can't tell you how many times I've had dreams about being stranded in Georgia...with no way of getting in touch with him... Every time I woke up I'd be so happy...so  _ relieved _ . But... I can't wake up from this. No matter how hard I try.”  
      “...He'll come get ya,” Daryl told her. Maybe he wasn’t sure what else to say. What else could he have possibly said?  
      “Well,” Laura-Mae began in a tired and somehow dreamy voice, “unless there are any other topics for today's meeting... I guess I'll let ya get to bed.” She gestured with an open palm up at the overhead cab space she'd made her bedroom. “Should fit ya fine. Just...don't sit up too fast or anything. Trust me.”  
      “I can sleep here,” he motioned down to the couch on which he was still seated.  
      “What? Even  _ my _ tiny white ass can't get comfy on that thing! Please. Remember what I said earlier? Mi casa es su casa, mi amigo! Besides... I'm not gonna shut up until you get up there.”  
      “...Fine,” he groaned with something of reluctant acceptance. “And you?”  
      “Oh, pah! Don't worry about me. Got a spare bed in the back.”  
      Daryl leaned and peered past the partition she pointed to. “Hmm... A'ight then...”  
      “Good deal! Well... Get some rest. See ya in the mornin’, bud.” Before he had a chance to change his mind she stood. "And there's another light up there if you need it, okay?"  
      Daryl only grunted out a response as Laura-Mae clicked the dinette table's light off. In a smooth motion she reached to grab her small blanket draped over the back of the passenger's seat -- the same blanket she almost always brought up to the roof with her. Soft as it was, it was admittedly thin, and so Laura-Mae hadn't made a habit of using it as a proper blanket. But tonight, she decided as she headed towards the back, it would get the job done. Ringo followed along behind her, and Laura-Mae crawled onto her mattress, onto the  _ fairly _ clean but decidedly  _ pungent _ sheet. With her tail wagging, Ringo jumped up right after her.  
      By the sound of it Daryl had hauled himself up into the overhead cab and, after a few minutes, there was only silence. Then there was silence and the occasional cricket or cicada or subdued burst of laughter from the faraway campfire. Laura-Mae took a moment to draw in the quietest breath she could manage.  
      Before that nagging voice in the back of her head had a chance to take hold, there was a faint  _ click _ from the front of the Travelcraft. Soft white light flickered once and then twice and then trickled down the "hall" and stopped just at the wooden partition. There was a gentle and crisp sound of pages being flipped, and an intermittent scruffy scoff. Laura-Mae's curious and dreary mind drifted on and on until, all at once it seemed, it landed on a memory of staring longingly and somberly at the pages of her binder. Her "comic bible" had been left out and, surely, that was the only thing Daryl could be perusing.  
      "Is this Marty?" She heard his scratchy voice clear across the Travelcraft, and she leaned over the edge of Ringo's bed to look wide-eyed over at him. His fingertips were timidly tracing the borders of the paper, and his fog-blue eyes flicked across the page's panels.  
      "Well... Which... Which one are you reading?" The question left her hesitantly.  
      "You keep tellin' him to look at how  _ cute _ Ringo is...even though she's just sleepin'." There was a quiet little quip in his tone, and he was shaking his head just barely. Laura-Mae couldn't help but wonder if he was at all surprised at the actual content of her comics. Probably not.  
      "Oh, uh... Yeah, that's... That's him! Well...a cartoony version of him anyway. Y'know... _ exaggerated _ ."  
      "So he don't always look this tired?"  
      "Well... He  _ does _ live with me, so..."  
      "So he does," Daryl smirked down at the open binder. Laura-Mae chuckled and dragged herself from the mattress and took slow steps up to the cab. Her dainty fingers grabbed and curled at the lip of the overhang, and she stood on her tiptoes to peer at the binder and peek at what he was reading.  
      "You uh... What do you think?"  
      "I think these things are 'bout as goofy as you are."  
      "Oh yeah?" A smile pricked at the corner of her lips. "I... I've been working on those for the past...well... Let's just say since before I met Marty."  
      Daryl looked steadfast down at the scribbly illustrations and he studied them closely, touching only the very edges of the paper as he turned each page.  
      "It means a lot to me," Laura-Mae added softly. "And...it's helped me get through a lot." A sigh pushed through her pursed lips. "Most of my 'real' work I did digitally -- on the computer, y’know. And now...well... That binder...and everything in it... That’s all I've got left."  
      "You could make more."  
      "Yeah, but...” In the shadowy recesses of her mind Laura-Mae could practically feel the smug satisfaction of that dark and domineering presence. “Comics and cartoons just...seems kinda silly now, huh?" The question was a weak one, but genuine.  
      Daryl said nothing, still staring down at the pages.  
      With a brisk chuckle she added, "I mean what am I gonna do, make a strip about...doing  _ laundry _ by hand?"  
      Daryl scoffed and turned the page.  
      "I'm surprised you can read," she asserted. Finally he shot a steely glare over at her, but it melted into soft confusion when he'd been met with a mischievous smirk and a snicker. "Just fuckin' with ya," she reassured.  
      "You oughta stick to  _ comics _ ." He shifted his attention back to the binder.  
      "I'm sure as shit better at that than...well doing  _ anything _ around here."  
      Daryl gave her a dismissive wave. Laura-Mae grinned from ear to ear.  
      "Guess I'll leave ya to it, then! You've only got...like a hundred more pages to sift through! Oh, and do me a favor and ignore the notes in the back, okay? No spoilers."  
      Daryl only nodded and waved her away while he turned another page. Satisfied, Laura-Mae headed back to Ringo's bed. Once she'd crawled in and gotten cozy all over again, she listened to Daryl occasionally turning pages, scoffing, and turning more pages. Her mind swam with visions of her own strips and pages, wondering which joke he might have thought was the funniest, or which moments spoke to him the most. She remembered the same sensation when Marty had perused her work when they first met, and his dark eyes sparkling while he flipped through. When she saw Marty again, she hoped to have even more to show him, but...  
      Still, her point stood. How could she possibly draw any humor from the world around her now? In a world where the dead rose up to eat the living, what was there to laugh at? What was there to smile about? And yet...somehow she had managed to find a way. And judging by his subdued snickering from up in the cab, so had Daryl. And that filled Laura-Mae with a feeling she couldn't quite place a finger on. It was a mix of hope and wonder...and perhaps a little pride. Whatever it was, it was enough to lull her gently into a peaceful sleep.


	13. Flicker

**EPISODE XIII**

**Flicker**

**★★★**

     There was no great and jovial awakening to speak of the following morning. Instead, Laura-Mae had been left to wake up to the sight of an empty bed up above the cab. It wasn’t as though she had been expecting the smell of freshly-brewed coffee or anticipating a riveting discussion of dreams (or most likely some rather vivid nightmares), but... She couldn’t help but wonder if Daryl had even stayed the whole night. Or had he simply gone to take a piss, only to come back in a few minutes expecting to be fed a full breakfast?  
      Knowing him, and Laura-Mae did think that perhaps she knew him well enough by now, she suspected he had snuck out in the wee hours of the morning. In fact, she was willing to wager that he was somewhere off in the forest, partaking in his usual hunt. What time was it, anyway?  
      Leaning out from Ringo’s bed and rubbing at her puffy eyes, Laura-Mae studied the gentle gray hue of the sky through the windshield. The sun was only dimly illuminating the surrounding sea of pine trees, a mist of morning fog hugging at their rustling tops. All sorts of birds snuggled up in them had started their early dawn choruses. The  _ red-bellied _ this and the  _ yellow-rumped _ that all had something to say this morning, it seemed. Laura-Mae pondered while she rubbed at her still-tired eyes. At least, she thought, she hadn’t slept her whole day away again.

     ‘ _ Not like anyone would miss yo-- _ ’

     “I’m getting  _ real _ tired of you, you know that?” Laura-Mae grumbled with a scratchy, sleepy voice. Ringo’s head lifted up and her dark eyes shifted briskly up to Laura-Mae. Her fur was plastered to one side of her face, flat and stiff. With a soft snicker Laura-Mae reached out to comb her fingers through in an attempt to fix it. Ringo’s tail thumped lazily once or twice against the mattress and she rolled over onto her side and held a big, fluffy Q-tip of a paw up at her spotted chest.  
      “Sorry for waking ya up, girl.” Laura-Mae scratched Ringo’s belly until her black leg started kicking. “Get some good sleep?”  
      Ringo’s maw parted into a gaping yawn so mighty that her head trembled and all her pointed teeth were on display. She shook out her fur and big poofs of fur wafted up into the stale air in the Travelcraft and caught in the dim dawn rays.  
      “Me too, me too... Best sleep in a while, huh? We oughta have sleepovers more often!” Laura-Mae rubbed at her itching nose, absently pulling thin wisps of white fur from it.  
      Ringo laid her head back down and huffed out a heavy sigh.  
      “Okay, okay... I’ll let ya sleep. I know it’s a little early for ya... Beauty sleep and all that.” Laura-Mae sat up and stretched her arms high up above her until her muscles were tickly and tingling. Aside from the  _ fragrant _ smell of dog, there were certainly perks to sleeping on the spare mattress. In truth she had missed her homey space above the cab, her dark little cozy corner of the world which she had made all her own. But of course she’d been more than happy to share. Especially if it meant sparing Daryl the hassle of dealing with Merle. Besides that, it was the least she could have done for causing so much trouble the past night.  
      With a sorry slouch she stood and shuffled into the kitchen and started to rummage around for something to eat. Her eyelids drooped sorrowfully under the memories of having a brisk shouting match with the eldest Dixon. Another “friend” to cross off the list for sure. Why couldn’t she just keep her shit together?

     ‘ _ Because you’re not  _ **_capable_ ** _ of something like that. You’re barely capable of anything. _ ’

     Laura-Mae rolled her baggy eyes and shook her head while she pulled a bag of chips down from her cupboard.  
     “I’m capable...” she said weakly.

     ‘ _ Of what, exactly? Pushing everyone away? Wasting everyone’s time? _ ’

     “No... I... I can make up...for my fuck-ups...”

     ‘ _ Your entire life is a fuck-up. _ ’

     “No it’s not...” Laura-Mae miserably shoved a chip through her chapped lips and crunched it quietly. She slumped down at her dinette table and slapped the bag of chips down atop it. Her gloomy eyes cast a blank stare to the empty seat across from her.  
     It had been only two months since Marty had been sitting there, celebrating the purchase of their brand-spanking-new RV -- new to them, anyway. And it had been only one month since he had been telling her to be careful on her journey with a worried and somber look on his face. Had it really been a month already? To think... What had started as a two week “vacation” turned into... _this_. Even two weeks had sounded unbearable at the time. If only she had ended her travels a day or two earlier. Then maybe...

     ‘ _ You would have just died out there. You’re  _ **_lucky_ ** _ these people saved your sorry ass and you know it. _ ’

     Laura-Mae frowned. Her eyebrows twitched up and her misty eyes shifted down.  
     “I know...” She was about to fish another chip from the bag on the table in front of her, but she stopped short and shook her head so hard that her hair whipped up against her twisted-up face. “N-No! ... _No_. I... I’m not going to listen to you anymore!”

     ‘ _ Why not? Because you know I’m right? Because you’re  _ **_afraid_ ** _ of hearing the truth? Just like you’re afraid of everything else? _ ’

     “Because you’re  _ lying _ to me...”

     ‘ _ The way you lied to Marty? When you promised to stay where you were? When you promised you’d be back as soon as you could? Or maybe the way you lied to Daryl when you told him that you could handle yourself around Merle? Or the way you lie to  _ **_yourself_ ** _ every day of your  _ **_pathetic_ ** _ life? _ ’

     Laura-Mae said nothing. She only drew in a deep breath, pushed it out, and then crammed another handful of crispy, crunchy chips into her frowning mouth.

     ‘ _ You don’t have to like it... But you know I’m right. _ ’

     Between bites she fought the urge to nod in obedient agreement. Her eyebrows furrowed down and her eyes stung with tears. She would swallow down one handful of chips, sniffle, then push in an even bigger handful. Honestly the only thing keeping her from breaking down into another miserable and pathetic crying fit was the family-sized bag of chips she’d nearly finished. And once she had, she crumpled the bag up. The loud crinkling sound it made jarred her a bit, but she kept right on grimacing and crumpling and crinkling until it was practically a smooth sphere of greasy, crumby plastic. She squeezed it between both of her trembling hands while she stared daggers at the seat across from her.

     ‘ _ And you know...he’s dead. _ ’

     From on high (the back of the Travelcraft), Ringo’s sorrowful serenade came whimpering up to Laura-Mae’s admittedly buzzing eardrums. The dog’s claws clacked heavily down onto the floor, and she stretched out her skinny back legs before shuffling with a light limp up to her human. She pressed her warm, dry nose into Laura-Mae’s stiff forearm, who jumped at the sensation and whipped her head over to look down at her.  
     “Oh! H... Hey, girl. You hungry?”  
     Ringo whined a little more, and licked at the hand that reached out to pet her. Specifically the parts that smelled like greasy, fried potatoes. She slowly sat herself down onto her brittle old hips, and her tail wagged in a lopsided circle. Her big, brown eyes sparkled up at Laura-Mae and her ears were pulled back and she was panting through what looked to be a friendly smile. Laura-Mae sniffled and swallowed down the lump starting to tie together in the back of her throat.  
     “My little buddy...” The words left her in a croak. She cleaned her hands off on the thighs of her shorts before _oh-so charmingly_ wiping her nose on the back of one. “I’m so glad... You’ll always be here for me, huh...?”  
     She leaned forward to plant a smooch on the pooch’s forehead, until Ringo met her halfway and licked with sloppy gusto at her eyelids.  
     “You just love the taste of tears, don’t ya?” As she spoke Laura-Mae had to move her tight lips around to avoid Ringo’s slimy, somehow sandpapery tongue. “You sadistic bitch!” Laura-Mae chuckled and sputtered and gently pushed Ringo away. In a swift motion she pulled the neck of her shirt away from herself and lifted it up over her face to dry it off.  
     “What do you say we go for a walk, huh?”  
     Ringo’s ears perked up, and she sat up and tilted her head.  
     “Yeah! A nice, long walk and then breakfast! Sounds good, right?”  
     Ringo stood and spun around in a clumsy half-circle. Laura-Mae stood as well, although she opted not to spin like her furry friend...as much as she appreciated the enthusiasm. In a smooth motion she tossed the crumpled up chip bag on the table and reached to fetch Ringo’s leash draped over the passenger’s seat. She looped it through her belt loops as had become customary, and she fastened the clip onto Ringo’s leash within moments.

     ‘ _ Think it’s gonna be a good day, huh? All bright and shining and  _ **_rarin’ to go_ ** _. What a joke. _ ’

     “My forte,” Laura-Mae smirked. “I’m so good at jokes, my whole damn life is a joke!” Her smirk flourished into a goofy gaping grin. As the side door was unlocked and pushed open Ringo hopped down onto the ground. Rays of opalescent dawn sun flickered between shifting clouds and warmed Laura-Mae’s rosy cheeks.  
     “Try and bring me down all you want!” She murmured the words with muted mirth. “I’ve got more _important_ shit to worry about!”  
     On that decidedly light note, Laura-Mae lead Ringo off into the cozy woods. Or, more precisely, Ringo lead Laura-Mae off into the cozy woods.  
     Just as they had always done, the trees swaying and shifting up above her filled her with a quiet serenity. Their lush and tangy scent swallowed her up whole. The grass was soft and welcoming under her feet, cooling them with chilly morning dew. Sunlight trickled through the canopy and spotlighted bright sections of the fallen pine needles and yellow, dead leaves that made up the forest floor. Laura-Mae would take her time walking through them. She would stop and welcome the warmth that they brought. Even Ringo would take pause and stare up at the beams and they would catch and sparkle in her chocolate eyes. Her tongue fell from her mouth as it opened into a pleasant and calm pant. Laura-Mae took in the precious sight of her, her one and only friend left by her side.  
     A low whistle caught both their attention. In unison, their heads snapped in its direction. There was Daryl, walking up to them with his crossbow at his side. Laura-Mae crossed her arms and snickered through a smirk. She crossed her arms over her chest and patiently waited while he bridged the gap between them. Ringo trotted over to him with her head hung low and her tail spinning around behind her. Daryl patted the top of her head with his free hand.  
     “Mornin’!” Laura-Mae’s tone was bright and cheery. “You get some good sleep?”  
     Daryl only nodded, and he stood still for a moment while he looked at her. What looked to be a mischievous smile just barely showed through his dark goatee. Laura-Mae scoffed out a laugh, albeit somewhat uncomfortably. Her arms crossed a little tighter.  
     “What’s that look for?” she asked. Her eyesight squirmed away from him.  
     “I wanna show ya somethin',” he said. Her eyes shifted back up to his and one eyebrow lifted just a touch.  
     “Yeah? Is it... Is it something _good_?” She asked the question with apprehensive excitement...or just all-out anxiety, she couldn’t decide which. “Or is it, like...another psycho?”  
     “Ain’t nothin’ like that... C’mon.” Daryl’s lips screwed up into a smirk and then in a flash he turned and darted away from her. “Keep up!” He called over his shoulder.  
     Laura-Mae stood up straight, surprised at the sudden shift. Here she thought they’d have another brief bout of small talk before parting ways. But then there Daryl went, sprinting away and into the forest. In an instant Ringo was tugging against the length of her leash with an excited yelp rising up from her throat.  
     “W... Wait up, man!” Laura-Mae called after him, as far gone as he was. A jovial grin spread across her face from ear to ear. As to why, she had absolutely no idea. While she watched him disappear into the foliage she unclipped Ringo. Without a command to be issued or even heard the dog was sprinting away after him and kicking up a flurry of leaves behind her. A hearty laugh rose up from Laura-Mae’s lungs and into the chilled morning air. And, taking in a deep breath, she chased after them both.  
     Ringo had made quick progress, her tail giving Laura-Mae something to follow along behind. Her eyes stayed locked on it, save for the occasional glance up at Daryl who was already far, far ahead of her. He was making his way through the trees with ease, vaulting over fallen logs and sprinting past rocks and shrubs.  
     Laura-Mae’s heart pounded in her chest. Her bare feet slapped harshly against prickly brown pine needles and crunchy fallen leaves. Twigs would snap and split behind her, and she would slow her sprinting only to pull herself up over the logs and skirt around the stones. To her it was all just a pleasant blur, a beautiful whorl of greens and browns that shifted into the milky grays and blushing pinks of the sky. From time to time, and when her lungs could manage it, a delighted giggle would escape her. The whole way through the forest she just couldn’t stop smiling.  
     When finally Daryl had come to a halt, Ringo trotted up to his side and sat herself down to catch her panting breath. Daryl scratched at her head while his shoulders rose and fell in quick succession. Laura-Mae doubled over once she’d gotten to his other side, her wheezing breath echoing all around her. Yet she was still smiling, grinning like mad down at the forest floor under her feet.  
     “Now I don’t feel so bad about...” She paused to take in a few breaths. “About all those damn chips I just ate...”  
     Daryl patted her shoulder with the backs of his knuckles and then extended an index finger out in front of them.  
     “There it is,” he said softly between breaths.  
     Steadying herself, Laura-Mae pushed off of her thighs to stand straight, and her heart skipped a beat at the sight before her.  
     It was a landscape like something she could only _dream_ to paint. The kind of horizon that made her wish with all her might that she had a camera on her. The view was unobstructed by trees from where the three of them stood on a large rise, lifting them high above the forest around them.  
     The sun was nestled like a swaddled baby in a fluffy blanket of blushing tangerine clouds. The sky was rich with color, casting a warm and rosy light on the endless trees that stretched out below it. There was a river far off in the distance with the pink reflection of the horizon glittering in its rapids. A pair of hawks made lazy circles above the treetops, soaring high up in the air.  
     Laura-Mae had no words. But she gave it a good ol’ fashioned try anyway.  
     “It’s... This is...” Her hazel eyes stayed fixed while she shook her head, and her skin set to tingling. Daryl said nothing, as he often did, and his own eyes were cast out on the scope of everything before them. Ringo stared too, with her nose twitching as a breeze blew past the three of them.  
     “...Thank you,” the words left Laura-Mae in a whisper.  
     Daryl nodded. “Found this spot while I was out huntin’... Figured you might like it.”  
     He opened his mouth to continue, but didn’t.  
     Laura-Mae caught herself wiping a stray tear from the corner of her eye. “It’s beautiful. I... Thank you. For everything...”  
     “I didn’t do nothin’,” he said gruffly.  
     Laura-Mae turned to look at him, and after a moment he looked over at her. She smiled, her signature big, goofy grin.  
     “You don’t know...just how much you’ve done for me, man.” Gently she patted his shoulder. His muscles twitched and grew stiff under her palm. “I, uh...” She cleared her throat at the stubborn lump that had made its untimely return. “I really appreciate you...bein’ there for me. It... It means a lot.”  
     Daryl’s expression was soft, his eyelids squinted up just barely.  
     “...I ain’t done nothin’,” he insisted, pulling his gaze away from her and back to the horizon. Laura-Mae drew her hand back to herself and her lips curled softly at their edges. After she had studied him for only a moment longer, she looked back out at the horizon too.  
     In silence the three of them watched the sun make its way higher up into the sky. They watched as the pinks and oranges shifted into a bright and sunny cerulean blue, and the hawks swooped down into the forest below them.  
     “We oughta be gettin’ back,” Daryl finally said.  
     “Yeah...” Laura-Mae nodded and stepped over to Ringo, clipping her leash back onto her collar. “Can’t just stand around all day, huh? Besides... I’m sure the patrols’ll be out by now.”  
     “Mhmm.”  
     “Heaven forbid we give anybody a _tiny fright_ , huh?”  
     Daryl scoffed. “Dunno. If they saw _you_ out here it might give ‘em a _big ol’ scare_.”  
     “Gee, _thanks_! You’re the scary ape man here, _pal_!”  
     “Tch.” Daryl shook his head with a light smirk and turned to lead the way back to camp. Laura-Mae and Ringo followed closely behind.  
     “Don’t see your _lovely_ string of squirrels today!” Laura-Mae teased through a mischievous grin. “They finally outsmarted you, huh?”  
     “Guess so. Gonna have to start checkin’ somewhere else.”  
     “Yeah? Sounds good! Maybe me and Ringo can start going a little further out. Even if it’s not a _Shane-mandated_ patrol.”  
     “Invitin’ yourself along, huh?”  
     “Heck yeah! If that’s okay, I mean. I don’t wanna throw off your _mojo_ or anything.”  
     “Guess you can tag along. Long as you don’t slow me down.”  
     “Hey, no promises here! Asthma waits for no one, Daryl!”  
     “Tell me about it, _wheezy_.”  
     “ _Wheezy_? Really? That’s the best you’ve got?”  
     “Better’n _ape man_.”  
     “...Nuh-uh! Ape man is _accurate_.”  
     “And wheezy ain’t?”  
     “Well... Shut up!”  
     Daryl only scoffed and shook his head. With a placid smile Laura-Mae fell quiet. She took the time to look up and admire the forest as she often did. The gentle stillness of it all brought her the same, comforting peace as always. Yet with the silence came her usual enemy.

     ‘ _ Look at you... Acting like you’ve got something to smile about. Wipe that stupid grin off your face. _ ’

     Laura-Mae nearly responded aloud as she had grown used to the past week. But remembering Daryl just feet in front of her she bit her tongue and frowned down at her feet.

     ‘ _ Off with your little boy-toy, strutting around in the woods like you own the place. Forgot all about Marty by now, huh? _ ’

     Her lips parted and she nearly showed a snarl, just about to give a sharp retort. Her eyes flicked up to Daryl and her eyebrows furrowed. Squinting, staring down at her feet, just generally reining it in, Laura-Mae responded the only way she could.

     ‘ _ So which is it, huh? Am I supposed to believe he’s dead? Or am I supposedly forgetting about him? Which is  _ **_not_ ** _ true... Figured you’d know that what with being in my head all the time and everything. Make up your mind ya depressing bitch! _ ’

     A smirk spread across her face, and her fists clenched.

     ‘ _ Well? Where’s that clever comeback now huh? It’s harder when we’re sharing, isn’t it? _ ’

     Laura-Mae found herself waiting patiently for a response. She regretted that almost immediately.

     ‘ _ We’re not  _ **_sharing_ ** _ anything.  _ **_I’m_ ** _ in control here and you know it... Stop kidding yourself. You go ahead and keep playing pretend with your little friend there. Pretend like everything’s okay. Like Marty will just  _ **_show up_ ** _ any minute now. How long’s it been by now anyway? _ ’

     The smug, firm tone the voice took on left her feeling nearly nauseous. She suppressed a sigh, keeping it under her breath. Her lips began to quiver and then, quite suddenly, Daryl broke up the choking quiet.  
     “Marty’s gonna like it out here,” he said calmly.  
     Laura-Mae’s eyes snapped up to him in staunch surprise and she stared at the back of his head. Had he been reading her mind or something?  
     “Y... Yeah?” Her question was a genuine one, but she asked it through a weak smile. Ringo’s tail wagged one or two tired times.  
     Daryl looked briefly over his shoulder. “Mhmm.”  
     “Yeah... I think you’re right.”  
     “Should be here soon enough.”  
     “...Yeah! You’re right!” Her tone was bursting with sudden gusto, and her rise in volume earned her a confused look from him. Ringo had perked up too, looking up at Laura-Mae with her tail timidly wafting side to side.  
     “What you gettin’ all worked up for? Gonna have a damn asthma attack if you ain’t careful.”  
     “No, I just... You’re the best, Daryl. You know that?”  
     He rolled his eyes and looked back ahead of him, walking just a little bit faster.  
     “I mean it! You... You’re a really cool dude!”  
     “ _Stop_ ,” he groaned.  
     “Marty’s gonna like you. I just know it! I mean he’ll probably like everyone here--”  
     “‘Cept Shane,” Daryl smiled.  
     “ _Except Shane_ ,” Laura-Mae agreed happily. “But you! You two are gonna be best pals in no time I bet!”  
     “Maybe he could teach me how to put up with you.”  
     “Hell yeah he could! And then maybe he could teach _me_ how to put up with _you_!” Laura-Mae skipped to start pacing ahead of him, and Ringo trotted along with her poofy tail high in the air. “ _You’re_ the one that’s hard to deal with here!”  
     “Me?” He scoffed and squinted over at her. “I keep to myself.”  
     “Oh yeah? Like you keep to yourself whenever you come and check on me?” She wore that same big goofy grin on her face, and Ringo’s tail started to wag harder.  
     Daryl rolled his eyes again. “I’m checkin’ on _Ringo_. There you go flatterin’ yourself again.”  
     “C’mon! You care about me! Don’t you?”  
     “No,” he shifted his eyes away.  
     “Yeah you do! ‘Cause we’re _friends_! Ain’t that right?”  
     “ _No_. Ain’t _my_ fault you’re always followin’ me around.”  
     “ _I_ follow _you_? Oh, is _that_ right?”  
     “Yeah. That’s right.”  
     “So I guess it’s just a big damn _coincidence_ I always catch sight of your ape man ass sneakin’ around in the woods, huh?”  
     “Didn’t realize the whole forest belonged to _you_ ,” he finally shot a smirk over at her.  
     “Damn straight! I’m like a fuckin’ wood nymph out here, man! I spend so much time out here I’m gonna _turn into_ a tree!”  
     “Startin’ to sound like a damn hippie.”  
     “That’s ‘cause I _am_ a damn hippie, Daryl. Didn’t you know that?”  
     “I ain’t surprised.”  
     “Bet you thought the ‘no shoes’ thing was a fashion choice.”  
     “A _bad_ fashion choice.”  
     “You’re just jealous ‘cause you know I could out-sneak you any day!”  
     “Oh yeah?”  
     “Yeah!”  
     “Thought you said _I_ was the one always sneakin’ around.”  
     “Yeah, well... I... Shut up!”  
     Daryl grinned for the first time she had ever seen. She returned it, bigger and goofier than ever, and by the time she had looked back in front of her she saw the roof of her RV peeking up over the rise in the road. As the trio paced up the slope, they caught sight of Dale just turning away from its side door and pacing back down the road.  
     Laura-Mae called out to him.  
     “Yo! Dale!” She waved her arm up into the air. Ringo walked faster, pulling against her leash and whining. Dale was already smiling when he turned to wave back. Laura-Mae and Ringo stepped neatly out of the underbrush lining the dirt road. Daryl stood on the shoulder of it.  
     “I was just lookin’ for ya,” Dale said to Laura-Mae. He gave a polite nod to Daryl whose face had gone straight and blank. He only nodded back, just barely.  
     “What’s up?” Laura-Mae asked. Ringo sniffed at Dale’s legs and he bent over to run his hand down her furry neck a few good times.  
     “Shane’s calling another meeting.”  
     “What, already?”  
     “ _Already_?” Dale chuckled. “It’s been a week and some change by my count!”  
     “...Oh yeah.” Laura-Mae tried and failed to disguise a frown. “Guess you’re right. Time flies when you’re havin’ fun, I guess!” She let out a nervous chuckle, preemptively ignoring the voice in her mind.  
     “Tell me about it.” Dale gestured for them to follow while he turned and lead them back up the road and towards the heart of camp.

**★★★**

     Just about all the camp members were just beginning to gather, and already Laura-Mae’s mind was racing back to their last meeting. She couldn’t help but wonder if, perhaps, it would just be more of the same. Just more of Shane talking about how he knew what was best for everyone, telling everyone what to do. Bossing everyone around. She couldn’t help but question if these meetings would start to be a weekly occurrence. She wasn’t sure if she could handle that.  
      Daryl fell in place just behind Laura-Mae and Ringo lie down next to her. Dale skirted around the newly-formed crowd to stand towards the front of them all just near Shane. Once everyone had settled, Shane stood tall and addressed them all.  
      “Those of you who’ve been goin’ on patrols already know... There’s been no activity since the last geek we came across.”  
      There was a gentle murmuring, words of reassurance and relief rippling through the whole group.  
      “While we  _ will _ remain vigilant,” Shane continued smoothly, “we’re gonna be disbanding the patrols for the time being.”  
      Laura-Mae restrained a sigh of relief.  
      “We’re gonna be shifting our priorities a little bit here,” Shane said. “Now Glenn went to Atlanta not long ago for supplies, but one man can only get so much. And we’re a big group. That bein’ said... I’m gonna be sending a patrol to Atlanta for supplies.”  
      “But those  _ things _ are swarming around there!” Someone from the middle of the crowd said. There was another gentle murmur of crisscrossed voices and Shane waited for it to pass before he continued.  
      “That’s right. It’s gonna be dangerous. And that’s why, same as last time, I’m askin’ for volunteers.”  
      Laura-Mae’s arm shot high into the air. From where she was standing towards the back of the crowd, she shifted a stern and determined face at Shane. When his dark eyes glanced over at her she returned his gaze evenly. Same as last time, a few hands went up after hers. Shane stared steadily at Laura-Mae for several long moments before he looked back into the crowd and began calling names.  
      “Glenn of course,” he said. Laura-Mae’s lips pulled into a grimace, but she kept her arm stiffly up.  
      “Andrea.”  
      The bones in Laura-Mae’s arm started to tingle.  
      “Morales. T-Dog. Jacqui.”  
      With a heavy sense of dread pulsing through her, Laura-Mae’s arm began to shake.  
      “And  _ Merle Dixon _ ,” Shane said with finality. “Come on up. Let’s get a plan together.” While the crowd started to disperse and those who were called stepped forward, Shane’s eyes drifted back over to Laura-Mae. She brought her now numb arm slowly down, and her lips pulled up into a snarl while her teeth clenched.  
      “He’s just tryin’ to piss you off,” Daryl said over her shoulder.  
      “Well it  _ worked _ ,” Laura-Mae growled. Giving Ringo’s leash two quick flicks, her bare feet slapped on the dirt as she marched up to Shane and the others. Her shoulders bumped unceremoniously against one or two other campers as she passed, but they were all a blur to her. The only person she saw in that moment was Shane, his chin tilting up as he watched her come closer to him.  
      “What’s your problem with me, huh?” Her voice was shaking, but her anger had acute clarity. She did her best to ignore the folks standing in front of him all gawking over at her like she was some kind of roadside circus freak.  
      “What’re you talkin’ about?” Shane asked calmly, his eyes leering at her through slitted eyelids.  
      “I... I  _ know _ you saw me back there. I volunteered too! And  _ once again _ for some... _ mysterious reason _ you acted like you  _ didn’t _ see!”  
      Shane’s head cocked to the side and one eyebrow lifted up on his wrinkling forehead. His jaw was squared off, and his lips were set in a straight line.  
      Laura-Mae glowered up at him. “You know what?  _ Fine _ ! You don’t want me to be a part of this group, then I’m not!”  
      “Laura-Mae...” Dale chimed in softly from where he stood next to Shane. She shook her head, her eyes welling with hot tears and her fists shaking.  
      “From now on, what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is yours. And  _ don’t _ come to  _ my _ RV asking me to do laundry or wash dishes or any of that  _ other _ shit, ‘cause I’m tired of you acting like I don’t do anything!”  
      Shane scoffed and readjusted his posture. Somehow he seemed even taller than he already was.  
      “Just what is it that you do?” he asked. A smug smile spread onto his lips.  
      Laura-Mae stiffened and her eyes snapped open wide. If she were a cat her fur would surely be standing on end.  
      “You...” Her words caught against the lump in her throat. “You have no  _ idea _ how much work I was putting in!” Ringo started to whine up at her when Laura-Mae’s voice rose. More tears pooled above her eyelids. “How much work I  _ keep _ putting in!”  
     Her  whole body started to shake and her tone was becoming more shrill by the millisecond.  
      “I-- I push myself...to go further and further out every day...to...to make sure those  _ psychos _ don’t sneak up on us! And... And what do  _ you _ do? Tote a gun and  _ boss _ everyone around?”  
      From the corner of her eyes she saw the small group all shift their heads in Shane’s direction.  
      He seemed unbothered by that, much unlike Laura-Mae.  
      “Nah,” he spoke smoothly, the smile still on his face. “See, what  _ you _ do is take your dog on a walk a couple times a day. Pretend like your husband’s just gonna  _ show up _ . That’s what  _ you _ do. You can dress it up however you like.”  
      “I--” Laura-Mae stopped short, absolutely flabbergasted. The group shifted their collective eyes back to her, and anxiety crashed over her like a tidal wave, like a full-blown goddamn tsunami. Her lips tightened up into a quivering frown, and she gave Shane the most hateful look she could muster up. Then, finally, she turned herself around and stomped away from them all with Ringo hot on her heels.  
      Daryl had been right behind her, and Laura-Mae practically toppled him over as she went. Her shoulder slammed into him and she stopped short. Her back facing him, she turned to glare at him for a brief moment. Daryl said nothing. He only stared over at her with a soft expression, something between understanding and reassuring. Laura-Mae sniffled and wiped her nose, and then stared down at her feet as they briskly carried her back out of camp, and back up into her RV.

     ‘ _ Well, well, well... _ ’


End file.
